


Darling Just Dive Right In (And Follow My Lead)

by SpinTheLarry



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: A bit of angst i guess, Austria, Boys In Love, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Coming Out, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cussing, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Holidays, Kissing, M/M, New Year's Eve, Pining, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Winter, Ziam - Freeform, larry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2019-09-25 15:04:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 69,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17123612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpinTheLarry/pseuds/SpinTheLarry
Summary: It's December 2012 and the UAN tour has ended. Management sends the boys off to the Austrian mountains to spend the holidays there and hopefully get some inspiration for their next album.The trip is a dream for everyone but Harry, who's having a hard time trying to hide his feelings for his band mate and best friend, Louis.Will he be able to keep his love a secret and will they remain friends or will something blossom between the two?Or: the one where Harry is in love with Louis and during their stay in an Austrian cottage Louis may or may not realise he has feelings for his best friend too.The title is from Ed Sheeran's beautiful song called 'Perfect'. The story is loosely based on the music video for said song.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my very first Larry fic. I hope you all like it :)  
> Happy holidays to everyone xx

CHAPTER 1

‘’Hazza?’’ a voice called from the opposite side of the wall, causing the boy with the curly brown locks to slowly open his eyes. He grumbled something inaudible, which was followed up by the other person yelling, ‘’Hazza!’’ again. Harry groaned and slowly lifted the duvet from his body. ‘’’M comin’. Patience, please’’, he replied, rubbing his eyes. It was still so early. 

He looked at the clock to see that it was nearing six. Normally, he would have at least another solid two hours of sleep, but today was all about getting up early.

Had it been any other day, he would have been up first, not his flatmate, Louis. But today was not any other day. 

After the release of their very first album – thinking about it still managed to make Harry’s heart beat faster, for he had never thought his dream of ever becoming a known musician would come true – their manager had suggested they took a break. The boys were ecstatic at the thought of being able to spend some time with their relatives and friends from their hometowns. Yet, there was a catch.  
The boys did not actually get to go home, no, they were sent off to the Austrian mountains with a clear mission: for their second album, the ‘’gods above’’, as they liked to call their bosses, had decided the boys ought to write some of the songs, which led to them being flown to a relatively remote location for inspiration and bonding. They did not need any help in the last department, since all five got along from the start. Okay, truthfully, Louis and Liam did not exactly hit it off from the get-go, but… technicalities. 

As Harry slowly got out of bed, wearing nothing but a pair of grey briefs that left nothing to the imagination, the bedroom door was flung open. A very energetic Louis was stood in the doorway. Upon realising his best friend was practically naked, a blush developed itself all over his features, going all the way up to the tips of ears.

Harry, equally flustered, quickly covered himself up with the duvet, catching Louis looking at his torso. The Doncaster lad looked away so fast Harry was afraid he had given himself whiplash.

Harry had always been pretty candid about being comfortable with barely any or no clothes at all on around people. Yet with Louis, it somehow was different. It was like they had yet to cross that line in their friendship.

‘’I- I’m sorry. I’ll just leave you to it’’, Louis said, his voice low. 

‘’No, um it’s fine’’, Harry replied, hitching the duvet a little higher up on his body. ‘’Did you want to ask me something?’’

‘’Just making sure you’re awake so we can leave soon, ‘s all’’, Louis answered. ‘’I’ll’’, Harry paused, looking at the doors leading to his en suite, ‘’take a quick shower and we’re good to go. I packed everything last night.’’

Louis nodded, still not quite meeting Harry’s eyes. ‘’Good. See you in a bit then’’, he said, closing the door before Harry could reply.

Harry ruffled his hair before walking into the en suite. He dropped the duvet on the floor and stepped into the shower. As he enjoyed the feeling of a stream of hot water droplets crash on his shoulders, his thoughts went to Louis.

It had been slightly awkward when the older boy had seen him with such little clothes on. Harry wondered why. They usually were so comfortable with one another. They spent the majority of their free time snuggling on the couch while watching romantic comedies together. Lately, however it seemed like something had changed. That sense of comfort was still there, but invisible barriers had been placed in between the two.  
The situation was a bit upsetting to Harry. He missed his cuddle buddy, who was probably impatiently waiting for him to get ready.

His cuddle buddy who made his heart beat just a little bit faster whenever he entered the room.

The thought made Harry stop the water flow and quickly dry himself off. Within minutes, he and Louis were all set to go on their trip.

This little holiday might be good for them. Maybe they would be as close again as they had been before. That is, if Harry managed to get his feelings under control.

 

...

 

The other three lads were waiting for them in a relatively large white van. They had merely been driving for about five minutes when Niall announced he was starving, his stomach grumbling to emphasise the message.

‘’Did you not eat before you left?’’ Liam asked him incredulously.

‘’I did’’, Niall told him, ‘’but I am hungry again.’’ Louis snorted. ‘’No surprises there’’, he said.

‘’Shh, LouLou, you go back to cuddling with Haz’’, Niall replied. ‘’Gladly’’, Louis announced before shifting to sit closer to Harry, who could feel heat rising to his cheeks.

Harry knew he had wanted to be able to cuddle with Louis again, but now that he had the shorter boy next to him, he was unsure of what to do. Should he place his arm around his shoulder? Offer up his shoulder for Louis to rest his head on?

The decision was made for him when he heard soft snores coming from beside him. Louis had fallen asleep and on top of Liam’s chest.

Harry did not know how Louis had ended up there, but what he did know, was that it did not feel right to see him with Liam like that.

He closed his eyes, trying not to think of how he wished Louis would be sleeping like that on his chest, and tried to drift off. But with the unsettling view next to him, all attempts to turn off the constant stream of thoughts going through his head were in vain.

 

...

 

The drive to Stansted Airport was quite short, and before Louis knew it, he was roughly being awakened by Liam as the latter pushed him off from where he had apparently been laying on his chest. 

‘’Mate, get up. We’re here’’, Liam spoke up, a little too loud for Louis’ liking.

‘’We’re in Austria already?’’ Louis asked, sleepiness clearly audible in his voice as he rubbed his eyes.  
Liam chuckled, answering, ‘’We’re at the airport. Now get up and get going.’’

‘’Someone carry me, please’’, Louis said, or rather, moaned, causing the other boys to laugh. ‘’Hazza?’’ Louis asked sweetly, batting his eyelashes at the green-eyed lad. 

‘’Not a chance, Lou. You carry yourself’’, Harry replied, giving him a playful smile that did not entirely seem to meet his eyes. Louis groaned in response. 

After about five minutes, the boys got Louis to get out of the van and into one of the airport’s side entrances. Side entrances were used by them and other celebrities to avoid mobs and such. After all, they were on a vacation now. At least, that was what management told them.

 

...

 

As soon as all the boys were seated, Louis and Harry next to one another with Niall and Liam in the row behind them and Zayn in front of them, Harry could not refrain from falling asleep. Weeks, no months, of hard work and going to bed late and getting up early were now catching up to him, and his eyes were closing themselves without his control.

Louis had barely buckled his seatbelt, when he felt a weight on his shoulder. He turned his head to find Harry already asleep. He let out a chuckle and buckled Harry’s seatbelt, careful so that the boy would not wake up. He played with Harry’s hair for a few seconds, letting the soft strands slip through his fingers.

When he started to feel tired himself as well despite having slept in the van, Louis let his head rest on top of Harry’s, pulling the baby blue blanket the flight crew had provided all passengers with up to rest on their bodies.

Before drifting off, he vaguely took notion of Niall and Liam cooing and whispering too each other. The only words he hears, are ‘’so cute’’ and ‘’oblivious’’. After that, he is taken by sleep.

 

...

 

Harry awoke due to the pilot announcing they would be landing in approximately fifteen minutes. As he slowly opened his eyes, he took in his surroundings, almost having forgotten he was on a plane in this state of barely being conscious. 

His head was resting on Louis’ shoulder and a blanket was covering them. Judging by the soft snoring next to him, Louis was still asleep. Harry resisted the urge to snuggle closer to him, instead opting to remove the blanket from himself and wrap it entirely around Louis.

He looked at his best friend, who was looking so peaceful at the moment, so relaxed, without a care in the world. Harry wondered what he was dreaming about. Was he even dreaming about anything?

Harry smiled as he saw Louis’ eyelashes flutter for a moment. He has always liked his eyelashes for some reason. Just like how he has always liked his sparkling, icy blue eyes that not even the fairest of skies and clearest of oceans could compete with, and his cute button nose. His cheekbones, his petite frame, his thin, pink lips… Did he need to continue?

Louis looked like an angel, Harry feeling like he had entered heaven every single time he saw him. A feeling that was accompanied by butterflies swarming in his belly. Not that he would ever tell Louis that. Or anyone else, for that matter.

Harry let his head rest on Louis’ shoulder again, closing his eyes, blaming it all on Louis looking so warm and cosy. He did not switch position for the remainder of the flight, enjoying the familiarity of the feeling of having his best friend close to him.

 

...

 

Despite there not being much of the flight left, Harry had managed to fall asleep again. It was Louis who woke him the second time, with his soft fingers brushing through Harry’s fringe and gently whispering the green-eyed boy’s name.

‘’Louis?’’ Harry asked sleepily. ‘’Get up, love’’, Louis told him. ‘’The plane has landed.’’

Louis looked at Harry, smiling fondly at the boy’s pout that had appeared when he was told to get up.

‘’You know, this is the second time today that you have woken me up’’, Harry said, only complaining a little. He hated he was not even able to at least ride out the illusion of sleep for a few minutes longer, but Louis’ smile almost made up for it.

Harry fully opened his eyes and stretched, Louis trying his best not to look at the sliver of pale skin that was visible due to Harry’s shirt rising on his stomach.

Harry rose from his seat, and told Louis, ‘’Okay, I’m ready.’’ Louis, in turn, said, ‘’Put your coat on first. We’re not in London anymore. It’s pretty cold.’’

Harry chuckled. ‘’London isn’t exactly the tropics either, Lewis’’, Harry retorted teasingly.  
‘’Oh no, he has called me Lewis. I shall now wallow in self-pity’’, Louis said as dramatically as possible.

A soft smile appeared on Harry’s features upon seeing display in front of him and Louis grinned at him.

‘’C’mon love birds!’’ Niall shouted as he marched past their row. ‘’The schnitzels and apple beignets are awaiting us!’’

Harry rolled his eyes at Niall’s statement. Luckily they were aboard a private plant. He could already see the headlines if there had been other passengers who would have heard the Irish lad call him and Louis lovebirds. One Direction’s Harry and Louis are heading in One Direction, and it’s not a straight one! or: One Direction fans in shock as their ‘’Larry Stylinson’’ theory is proven to be real.

Of course, Harry would not mind these headlines. Not at all. He wished they could be true one day. But as he looked at Louis, who had already moved to the front of the plane, his heart sunk. It was only a wish.

He walked down the aisle – the airplane aisle, don’t bring out the wedding bells just yet – and let the cold Austrian air envelop him as he said a quick ‘’Auf Wiedersehen’’ to the flight attendant standing near the doorway.

 

...

 

‘’Holy schnitzel!’’ Niall exclaimed as he stepped out of the plane and a cold gust of wind slapped him in the face.

‘’What is it with you and schnitzels?’’ Zayn asked him, shaking his head. ‘’My dude, have you tried them? They are deli- … wait for it… -cious!’’ Niall replied.

‘’I don’t know if you sound more like my grandpa or like Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother right now, but it’s weird. Quit that’’, Zayn said.

‘’Your grandpa calls you dude?’’ Liam asked curiously. Before Zayn, could answer though, they heard a crash and soon after, swear words were shouted into the frosty air.

The boys turned and saw Louis lying on the stairs connecting the airplane to the ground. ‘’Bloody stairs’’, he grumbled. ‘’Bloody cold.’’

Niall, Liam an Zayn all burst into laughter upon seeing Louis sprawled out on the iron steps.

‘’Very funny’’, Louis said, glaring at them. ‘’You’re all being super helpful as always.’’  
That sent the three boys into another fit of laughter. ‘’I hate you all so much’’, Louis told them.  
He soon felt arms wrap around his waist, however, and he was pulled back up. 

He looked behind him to meet Harry’s eyes.

‘’Thank you, Hazza. Luckily someone knows when a friend is in need of help.’’  
‘’You’re very welcome, Lou’’, Harry answered.

‘’Oh, don’t pretend to be all saintly, Harry. I saw you laughing in the doorway before’’, Niall said.  
Louis cocked an eyebrow at him, causing Harry to blush and let out a small giggle. 

Louis could not even pretend to be annoyed with the boy, he was just too cute.

‘’And here I thought I was the clumsy one’’, Harry said, chuckling lightly. And, well, okay, maybe Louis could be a little annoyed. He let out an exasperated sigh and continued down the stairs, trying his best not to fall over. Again.

‘’Aww, does wittle Lou-ee need me to hold his hand?’’ Niall asked teasingly as Louis reached the final step.

‘’You don’t deserve that honour’’, Louis retorted sassily and held his head up extra high, Niall letting out a loud laugh.

 

...

 

It was an hour drive to the cottage the boys would spending their winter break at, an hour during which all five of them slept. They are teenage boys and teenage boys need their sleep, after all.

Since they would be staying for a total of two weeks, they would be spending bot Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Austria as well. That was something the mothers of the boys had not agreed with at first, but had given into eventually.

It had been hard for them not to see their – as they called them – babies a lot the past year, and it was even harder now that they could not even spend the holidays with their boys.

The One Direction lads had promised to Skype their mums every few days, and that was why the mothers had had a change of heart.

And as the boys woke up to one of the most beautiful views they had ever seen, they were glad to be on this trip together.

Niall and Zayn were trying to get a good glance at the nature surrounding them by smushing their faces against the glass of the van’s windows, while Liam had some trouble getting a good look at the mountains, trying to look over Niall’s shoulder.

Louis was appreciating view from the other side of the vehicle. His eyes lit up when he saw what seemed like gallons of snow. Harry, however, refrained from looking out of the window. His gaze was fixated on the crinkles that had appeared by Louis’ eyes.

‘’Look, Hazza!’’ Louis exclaimed enthusiastically without taking his eyes away from the window, pointing at something outside. ‘’Isn’t it beautiful? Have you ever seen something prettier than this?’’

‘’No’’, Harry said softly, Louis oblivious to the fact that Harry’s eyes were still trained on him.

‘’Never.’’

 

...

 

It wasn’t long until they had reached their destination: a rather large, yet cosy-looking cottage, made of cedar wood. 

‘’Fuck, that’s nice’’, Louis said approvingly. Harry’s mind wandered off to other situations in which those words could leave Louis’ mouth, but quickly shrugged those thoughts off. He really ought to get rid of these figments his brain would create. Louis would never be more than just a friend. His best friend. 

Harry quickly left the car after realising he was the only one who had not got out yet. He was stood in front of the cottage in awe. It was the first time he had taken a good look at what would serve as their home for the next few weeks, not having bothered to earlier on, when they were still in the car, and he had to admit that management had done an excellent job picking out a place to stay. The cottage was wonderful.

‘’You coming, H?’’ Louis called, and Harry had to pinch himself to keep certain R-rated thoughts away. He’s just your best friend. Nothing more, he told himself like he had done so many times before.  
‘’Yeah’’, he replied, ‘’’m right behind you.’’

He trudged through a light dusting of snow, the white stuff clinging to his boots. Ah, well. He would dry them off later.

As he walked through the front door, he was met by a sweet smell wafting through the air and into his nostrils. Management had probably dropped off some food for the boys earlier on. As if on cue, Harry’s stomach grumbled. After unpacking, he should go make himself some food. After all, there was one unspoken rule within the band: If you didn’t eat fast, you didn’t eat all. They had learned that much after having spent more than one year with Niall.

Five pairs of ski’s along with matching equipment were stocked in the small entrance hall. 

He could see the other four boys looking around the living room and he joined them. 

‘’We ought to send Simon a thank you message later’’, Liam said as he inspected the couch, which was coloured in a dark shade of green. The colour of the couch matched the colour of the curtains and a comfortable-looking armchair in the corner of the room.

Niall had already moved on to another room while the other lads were still soaking up glances of the living room. 

Louis was looking out of a large window, watching as small snowflakes hit the ground. It was not the first time he had seen snow, since he is from England and all, but he had never got to enjoy it quite like now. 

He turned to his best friend. ‘’Hazza?’’ he asked sweetly, looking at the boy with puppy eyes. ‘’Will you build a snowman with me later today?’’

Harry chuckled lightly. ‘’Of course, Lou. D’you reckon we could make a snow-Paul?’’ he asked, referring to their security guard. 

‘’Definitely’’, Louis said, giving him a grin.

Niall soon returned to the group, loudly saying, ‘’Lads, there are only four bedrooms. One of us has to leave the band, I’m afraid. Zayn, what do you say, we leave One Direction and become the best pop duo known to mankind?’’

Zayn rolled his eyes at his friend, but smiled nevertheless.

‘’Harry and I can share’’, Louis offered. He then turned to Harry. ‘’If that’s alright with you, of course’’, he added.

Harry nodded, although his brain was screaming No! at the highest volume possible.

‘’We’ve shared a bed before anyway’’, he said. At those words, Niall wiggled his eyebrows and Liam tried to cover up a snort by placing his hand over his mouth.

‘’I did not mean it like that!’’ Harry protested. He looked to Louis for help, but found the older boy was laughing as well.

‘’Lou-ee!’’ he whined. ‘’I’m sorry, Haz’’, Louis told him, putting an arm around his shoulder. ‘’You’re just too cute when you’re frustrated.’’

Harry frowned. Louis had called him cute. He knew it meant nothing, as Louis called him cute often. But, his heart still skipped a beat.

Soon, he found himself being dragged towards the bedroom by Louis.

The room had just one bed and, albeit it being large enough to be slept on by at least three people, it was the cause for the lump being formed in Harry’s throat.

Louis plopped down on the bed, letting out a ‘’yes!’’ as he enjoyed the softness and resilience of the mattress. He patted the space next to him, urging Harry to join him.

This is going to be a long trip, Harry thought to himself as he sat down next to Louis and was being pulled into the older lad’s body.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! First of all, Merry Christmas to whoever reads this :) I hope you're all having a wonderful time.   
> Secondly, thanks for reading the first chapter and deciding to continue. I hope you all enjoy this one.  
> Lots of love,  
> J

After some unpacking on Harry’s part and watching everything around him on Louis’, the boys decided on visiting a local restaurant for a late lunch.

Due to the slow Wifi in their cottage, it took them a while to figure out where to eat and to find out that it was at a mere five minutes walking distance from their temporary home.  
They rapidly found some warm clothes to put on, slipped into their winter coats and snow boots and then they were good to go.

The boys walked through the snow, puffs of breath they exhaled condensing as soon as the vapour hit the cold air.

‘’Look!’’ Niall exclaimed cheerfully. He lifted his hand near his face and pretended to hold a cigarette, letting out a deep breath. ‘’It’s like I’m smoking. Finally I can relate to Louis and Zayn.’’

Zayn muttered something unintelligible, but he did not sound too enthusiastic.   
Liam patted him on the back a few times.

‘’I thought you quit smoking?’’ Harry asked Louis, genuinely confused. Louis had told him not too long ago that he was trying to quit after he had a conversation with his mum, Jay, about his health. Harry was quite relieved, to be honest. Louis did not smoke often in their shared flat – he always went to the balcony if he was in need of a drag - and he did not mind the smell so much, but it seemed like a nasty habit.

‘’Um’’, Louis began, which, Harry knew, was never a good sign. ‘’I tried, H. I did. Truly. But, er, I guess it did not work out’’, he explained. ‘’Oh’’, was all Harry said at first. He furrowed his eyebrows. ‘’I haven’t seen you smoking, though. Not even on the balcony’’, he added.

‘’Well, yeah, I’ve only smoked whenever you’re not around. I know you don’t like it’’, Louis explained. That was really thoughtful of him and it made Harry said that Louis might have felt forced to not smoke in his presence anymore.

‘’It’s fine, Lou, really. You can make your own decisions. You don’t have to avoid doing it around me’’, he said sincerely. Louis shot him a grateful smile.

‘’I’m still trying, though’’, Louis then said. ‘’It’s just a lot harder than I thought’’, he admitted.

Harry slung an arm around him. ‘’Well, I’m really proud of you for trying.’’

‘’So, I’m guessing everyone has already forgotten all about my flawless imitation of a smoker?’’ Niall asked whiningly. ‘’It was so original.’’

‘’Mate’’, Louis said on a laugh, ‘’everyone has at least done that once in primary school.’’   
Niall scoffed at his response.

‘’I’d normally have a great comeback, but food is awaiting me’’, the Irish lad told Louis.

‘’Yeah, right’’, Louis replied. ‘’No one can out-sass me.’’

‘’You can catch these hands’’, Niall said, Liam and Zayn cringing at his use of words.

‘’Nah, thanks. God knows where those have been’’, Louis retorted, adding in a wink to piss Niall off.

Niall, however, seemed unable to piss off. He could pretend to be annoyed for about three seconds, but then a smile would appear on his face again. The boys all loved that about him. The fans loved it, too. The boy did not have a single bad bone in his body.

The restaurant had quickly come into their line of sight. It was halfway hidden by a group of tall pine trees. Harry inhaled the woodsy scent and it instantly made him feel all warm and cosy and Christmas-y. The scent brought him back to past Christmases he spent with his mum, Gemma, and Robin. They would always sit by the fire to sing songs, watch Disney films or some holiday romcom, like Love Actually, and enjoy a lovely dinner cooked by his mum. The dessert, however, was always the courtesy of Harry. Every year Barbara from the bakery he had worked at would teach him to make something new for Christmas. His favourite was the trifle he had made three years prior.

The memories made him sad he did not get to spend the holidays with his family this year. Luckily, he had his four best friends with him and they felt like family too. Even though they were now fighting over who got to open the door (spoiler alert: Liam won).

It was nice to get out of the cold and step into the warmth of the restaurant. They were immediately greeted by a short, somewhat chubby woman who seemed to be in her early fifties. The welcoming smile that lit up her features seemed to be nothing short of genuine and it instantly made Harry feel at home. Her smile reminded him of his mum.

‘’Willkommen’’, the woman said. ‘’Was kann ich für euch tun?’’ she asked, her voice kind and very motherly. 

‘’Um’’, Niall began to say, not having understood a single word, ‘’Anglais, por favor?’’

Louis smacked him on the back of his head. ‘’She’s speaking German, not some weird mixture of French and Spanish you’ve made up seconds ago.’’ Niall rubbed the spot where Louis had hit him and glared at the older boy.

The woman’s eyes lit up at the recognition that the boys in front of her did not speak her language.

‘’English then’’, she spoke with a thick German accent. ‘’Welcome to my restaurant. What can I do for you?’’

‘’Food’’, Niall replied at the same time as Harry saying, ‘’We’d like a table for five for lunch, please.’’

‘’Of course’’, the woman said, still smiling. ‘’I’m guessing you’d like to sit inside?’’  
She had probably seen Liam’s chattering teeth or how Zayn’s lips had turned the shade of lavender.

‘’Please’’, Harry told her, earning another smile from the woman.

She guided them towards a table near the back of the restaurant by the window. It gave the boys a full view of the mountains without them having to be outside and freeze to see nature’s finest.

‘’My name is Clara. If you need anything, just call my name and I’ll be with you in a second.’’

‘’Clara’’, Louis repeated the name. ‘’It’s a beautiful name. I know someone who’s called Clara as well. Lovely woman.’’

‘’Where are you from?’’ Clara asked him warmly. ‘’England, I’m guessing, if your accents are anything to go by’’, she said.

‘’We are all from England’’, Louis told her, pointing at Harry, Liam, Zayn and himself. ‘’But this fellow, he’s from good ol’ Ireland.’’

‘’Oh, how wonderful’’, Clara replied. ‘’I have lived in Dublin for a few years. Wild times, those were’’, she said dreamily. The boys wisely chose to not ask her to elaborate any further. 

‘’Anywho, I will go get your menus now. It is very lovely to meet you five’’, she told the boys.

‘’It is very nice to meet you too’’, Louis said. Harry did everything he could to hide his fond smile from the boys as he watched Louis interact with Clara.

‘’Watch out’’, Niall, who was sat next to him, said. ‘’If your smile gets any wider, you’ll become the Cheshire Cat.’’ 

Harry blushed at his comment, having hoped no one had seen him watching Louis.

‘’Then again’’, Niall continued, ‘’you are our kitten. And you’re from Cheshire. So, that kind of makes you the Cheshire Cat.’’ He grinned proudly at his discovery.   
Liam actually seemed somewhat shocked and impressed, while Zayn just rolled his eyes and suppressed a groan. Harry merely stared at Niall.

‘’What are we talking about?’’ Louis asked Harry, paying attention to his friends again now that Clara had gone off to fetch the menus. ‘’Oh, you know’’, Niall answered casually before Harry could, ‘’just Cheshire cats and such.’’

‘’Hey Hazza, you’re my Cheshire kitten, since you’re from Cheshire and all’’, Louis said. Harry let out a high giggle, to which Niall responded by whispering, ‘’Traitor’’.

‘’I’m going to the loo real quick’’, Harry told the group. ‘’Aw, but I’m already here’’, Louis joked. ‘’Alright, that was lame’’, he said as he saw his friends’ unimpressed looks.

‘’Good luck!’’ Niall called after Harry as he left.

‘’Good luck?’’ Liam asked, frowning. Niall shrugged. ‘’I dunno what I’m saying most of the time’’, he explained.

Clara soon returned with their menus, handing the boys one each.

‘’Can I get you boys something to drink?’’ she asked.  
‘’Yes!’’ Niall exclaimed enthusiastically. ‘’I’d love a pint.’’

‘’From the tap is okay?’’ Clara asked, to which he nodded. 

Clara quickly scribbled his order down on her notepad. 

‘’He’s not eighteen yet’’, Louis suddenly said.   
‘’Am too!’’ Niall protested.  
‘’Then show her your ID’’, Louis retorted, knowing the Irish lad had probably forgotten it, and wanting to mess with him just a little bit.

‘’Ah, no worries’’, Clara said. ‘’The legal age for beer and wine is sixteen here’’, she explained.

‘’I might just have to move here then. Austria’s awesome’’, Niall said. ‘’And also’’, he added, ‘’this.’’ He stuck his tongue out at Louis, who huffed. The amused look in his eyes betrayed him, though.  
Clara snickered at the two.

‘’What would you like to drink?’’ she asked, turning to Liam and Zayn. 

‘’A pint for me as well’’, Liam told her, while Zayn opted for tea.

‘’I need to warm up a bit first’’, he said. Liam put his arms around boy in an effort to keep him warm. ‘’D’ you need my coat?’’ he offered.

‘’No, but thank you, Liam. Who needs a coat anyway when I have my human heater and teddy bear next to me?’’ Zayn replied. 

Clara cooed at them before asking Louis for his order. ‘’Tea for me, as well’’, he told her. ‘’Yorkshire, if you have it’’, he added. ‘’With a bit of milk, please.’’

Clara nodded as she wrote everything down.

‘’And for the other gentleman?’’ she asked, not having forgotten about Harry, who was currently still in the loo.

‘’Tea as well, I reckon’’, Liam said. Niall and Zayn nodded.

‘’No, wait’’, Louis said before Clara could write it down. ‘’A hot chocolate please. And with those tiny marshmallows if you have them. He thinks they’re cute’’, Louis ordered for Harry with a fond smile on his face.

‘’Married, I’m tellin’ ya’’, Niall muttered under his breath, Louis unable to hear him.

‘’Two beers, two teas, and one hot chocolate coming up’’, Clara told them.  
‘’With the tiny marshmallows’’, she added, giving Louis a wink.

As Clara took off to prepare their drinks while they looked at the food options, Harry returned from the loo.

‘’Haz, I ordered you a hot chocolate’’, Louis told him as he sat down. ‘’Oh, that’s great, thanks’’, Harry replied, shooting him a thankful smile. 

‘’Do you think they have those tiny marshmallows I like so much?’’ he asked, biting his lip. 

‘’Already ordered them for you’’, Louis responded. He laughed at Harry’s surprised and happy facial expression.

‘’You get so happy from the smallest of things, I swear’’, Louis said. Noticing Harry was about to jump into defence, he added, ‘’It’s a good things, H, really.’’ That caused Harry to relax.

They then noticed Clara had forgot to give them a fifth menu, for Harry.

‘’Here, look with me’’, Louis told him, pulling Harry a bit closer to him, causing the latter to exhale sharply.

‘’Remember the money management gave us for this trip?’’ Niall suddenly piped up. The other boys all looked at him, awaiting further elaboration.

‘’Well, I’m gonna spend it all here. There’s too much to choose from. I can’t possibly pick just one meal.’’

‘’Yes you can. And you will’’, Zayn told him. ‘’You’re not gonna spend everything on the first day.’’

‘’B- but food’’, Niall weakly objected. ‘’Sorry, bro’’, Zayn replied sympathetically, giving him a pat on the back. ‘’Not today.’’

Clara soon returned with their drinks and asked what they would like for lunch. As soon as they all had placed their order, it was time for business talk.

‘’I’m guessing you’ve all read Simon’s e-mail?’’ Liam asked. Louis and Niall looked at one another, clearly not aware of having received anything.   
‘’E-mail?’’ Louis asked.

‘’Yes. He sent us an e-mail during the flight. I thought everyone knew’’, Liam said, looking around the group to see if anyone knew what he was talking about. When he realised no one had read anything, he sighed and fished through the backpack he’d brought in search of his phone.

‘’A-ha!’’ he said as he found it. He opened his e-mail account and clicked on the most recent mail. 

‘’I will now read it to you seeing as you all have failed to do it yourselves’’, he announced.

‘’Dear boys,

You are probably reading this on your way to Austria’’. Liam stopped after that bit, raising one eyebrow at his bandmates. 

‘’Ugh, just continue’’, Niall urged. ‘’Fine’’, Liam replied.

‘’It is no secret this trip is both for relaxation and for business purposes. For your second album, you requested you got the opportunity to write a few songs of your own. An opportunity we granted you with. 

For that opportunity we ask something of you in return. You will have five songs ready for us by the end of the trip. One each or you write them together, it is all fine with us as long as you complete your task in time for the deadline.  
Secondly, we need you to engage with fans more. Tweet them directly, or do one of your infamous Twitcams.   
And lastly, get some well-needed rest. Next year is going to be busy, busy, busy and we need you ready for it!

That being said, enjoy your holidays.

S. Cowell.’’

‘’How sentimental, that last part’’, Louis commented. Zayn snorted.

‘’Five songs, that’s doable though, right?’’ Harry said. 

‘’It should be’’, Niall replied. ‘’We’ve got two whole weeks, a fucking amazing location, and most importantly, we’ve got our secret weapon.’’

‘’Secret weapon?’’ Liam asked. ‘’Yes, only the best and most talented songwriter ever’’, Niall answered.

When no one responded, he cried out, ‘’Me!’’

Louis let out a not so subtle cough. 

‘’Fine, fine’’, Niall said. ‘’We’ve also got Zayn’’, he added, to whom he whispered, ‘’You should really consider that idea of us becoming a duo, a pop sensation.’’

‘’I will’’, Zayn responded. He turned to Liam and mouthed ‘’I won’t’’.

Niall enthusiastically clapped his hands. Whether that was because of the possibility of forming a duo with Zayn, or because of the arrival of their food… well, who knew?

‘’I gotta say’’, Niall tried to speak as he was already munching on the still-hot food, ‘’it’s kinda nice not to be recognised everywhere you go. In London, we would have been swarmed by fans already.’’

Harry nodded in agreement. ‘’I quite like the peace and quiet. Although, I love the fans too.’’

‘’True. I think this trip is good for us’’, Louis said. ‘’I agree’’, Liam replied. 

‘’I mean, I’m always done for a lad’s holiday’’, Zayn remarked.

After that, there was silence as the boys all gorged on the delicious food the restaurant’s chef had prepared for them. They were not sure whether that was Clara or someone entirely different, but either way, it tasted great.

‘’Here, try this’’, Louis said to Harry after a while. He had forked a bit a piece of apple strudel and brought it to Harry’s mouth. ‘’You’ll love it.’’

After having swallowed the bite, Harry nodded excitedly.

‘’It’s wonderful. So sweet. I should make us some when we get back home.’’

‘’Oh, I’d definitely green-light that idea’’, Louis responded.

‘’You want to try this as well?’’ Harry asked, pointing at his own plate of ‘Kaiserschmarrn’. 

‘’Um, is our band called One Direction?’’   
Harry frowned at Louis’ reply. ‘’It means yes’’, Louis clarified.

‘’Oh, right, of course’’, Harry said, piercing one piece of food and lifting it with his fork. 

‘’Fuck, this is amazing’’, Louis said approvingly. ‘’Who knew Austrian cuisine was that good?’’

‘’I did’’, Niall replied, raising his hand and waggling his fingers.

‘’Yeah, but you think all food is great’’, Zayn intervened. 

‘’Ah young love’’, a voice sounded all of a sudden. 

The boys had not noticed Clara had returned to their table. She was looking in the direction of Harry’s fork, which was still hovering near Louis’ mouth.

Louis’ ears turned bright red. ‘’We’re not… We’re not anything. We’re friends’’, he informed her, stumbling over his words.

‘’Oh, I’m so sorry, dears. I just thought- Nevermind. My apologies’’, she quickly apologised.

‘’It’s fine’’, Harry told her sincerely, his heart having sunk at how quick Louis had been to correct the lady.

‘’Yeah, no harm done. There’s nothing to apologise for, it wasn’t offensive. But this one here probably has his eyes set on a girl back home’’, Louis said to her, nodding his head toward Harry, whose face had fallen faster than a strike of lightning hitting the ground.

‘’Louis, I d- don’t… I mean… I g- guess…’’ Harry stammered. 

‘’What?’’ Louis asked him gently, afraid of having said something wrong.

Clara shot Harry a sympathetic look only he could see before turning around and giving the boys some privacy.

The attention of all four boys was on him now and Harry knew that if there ever was a good moment to tell them about his preferences, it would be now. 

Fear and anxiety were keeping him from spilling the beans. For the past few months, he wanted nothing more than to just be able to profess his love for his best friend, to shout from the rooftops that he was not the womaniser every tabloid made him out to be. He had waited and waited for the perfect moment, and here it was, presented to him on a silver platter.

And yet…

‘’Nothing’’, he said, a feeling of disappointment engulfing his entire body.  
Maybe soon there would he would have another chance. And maybe then he would be ready to tell them he was not attracted to girls the way a lot of boys are. Just maybe, he would be able to say those words out loud, and not just to himself in the mirror, and his friends would all hug him and tell him they loved him no matter what. And maybe, if he were lucky, Louis would fall in love with him too. It was a long shot, yes, but maybe he would be fortunate enough to have that happen.

And maybe he would scare away from that moment again, just like he had done a few seconds ago.

He let out a breath he did not know he was holding and let regret and frustration take over on the inside, pasting on a fake smile for his friends.

Liam, Niall and Zayn, not having noticed anything, quickly continued friendly banter. Louis, however, was watching him with a frown, and it was then that Harry knew their conversation was far from over.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly about a coming out. Hope you all like it :)  
> Thanks so much for the support so far!
> 
> Also, I thought it would be nice to add a song to each chapter (if I remember to do so, that is), so for this one:  
> Dean Lewis - Need You Now

As soon as they had finished lunch and chatted with Clara for a little bit, the boys decided on going back to the cottage. Still exhausted from the journey, they chose to hit the slopes the following day and use the remainder of this one to rest.

As Harry was fumbling with the key to their holiday home, he was pulled backwards by strong arms. 

‘’Oh no, you’re not going anywhere’’, Louis told him. ‘’We’re making a snowman, remember?’’

‘’Ah, but if I remember correctly, we would make a snow-Paul’’, Harry reminded him, a soft smile appearing on his face and his dimple popping.

‘’Excellent memory’’, Louis complimented. ‘’Now help me gather a shitload of snow.’’

Harry chuckled as he sank down on his knees and started making a snowball, not stopping until it was perfectly shaped. 

‘’Fuck, that’s cold’’, he heard Louis say next to him. The boy was scooping up the cold substance with his bare hands. The skin had already turned a deep shade of red.

‘’Lou, have you gone mad!? Put on some gloves.’’ Harry crouched closer to the boy as he examined the meat of his hands.

‘’Well, um… I kinda, sorta forgot to bring any’’, Louis said, lowering his head in shame.

‘’We’re on a trip to Austria, for God’s sakes, and you forgot to bring mittens?’’ Harry asked incredulously.

When he saw how more embarrassment flooded Louis’ features, he felt a pang of regret in his chest.

‘’C’mere’’, he said, pulling off his own pair of mittens. ‘’Let’s get you warm.’’

Harry took Louis’ cold and reddened hands in his own and blew hot breath on them to warm them up. ‘’Cold as ice’’, he whispered worriedly. 

‘’Well, yeah, I _did_ just have a huge amount of ice in my hands’’, Louis retorted. ‘’Sorry’’, he softly said after. 

‘’It’s okay’’, Harry told him. ‘’Here put these on.’’ He handed Louis his own mittens.

‘’But-‘’ Louis started to protest. His whole body had started to violently shiver as the cold seeped from his hands to all parts of him. ‘’No but’s’’, Harry cut him off effectively. ‘’Put these on and we’ll get you inside and you can warm up in front of the fire while I make you a mug of hot cocoa, okay?’’

Louis nodded and let Harry lead him inside. 

Harry sat him down in front of the fire, his hand on the boy’s shoulder. When he was about to leave to fetch his friend a hot beverage, Louis put his hand over Harry’s in order to keep it there.

‘’Stay with me?’’ he asked softly. It was not like he was in pain or anything, but he just felt this strong need to have his best friend right there with him. To have him close. He did not know where it was coming from, the inexplicable pull. Maybe the snow had partially frozen his brain. Yeah, that was probably it.

Harry chuckled fondly. ‘’I’m only getting you something to warm up. I’ll be back in a sec.’’

‘’Okay.’’ Louis voice was so low his words were barely audible.

He watched Harry leave the room, admiring the way he walked. It was confident, yet clumsy. It was adorable. It was Harry.

Louis averted his gaze and shifted closer to the fire, letting the warmth of the flames envelop him, the feeling of the touch of Harry’s large hand still lingering on his shoulder.

As Harry had promised, he returned soon, bearing a soft-looking blanket and a mug of cocoa, steam rising from the liquid. 

‘’I blew on it, but I reckon it’s still hot’’, Harry warned Louis as he handed him the mug.

‘’Thanks’’, Louis responded. He knew better than to drink immediately, having experienced the feeling of having his tongue scorched too many times as a child. 

‘’Sit with me?’’ 

Harry sat down next to him, leaving a bit of space between the two of them. Louis did not like that at all, and snuggled closer to him, not catching the soft sigh that had left Harry’s mouth.

‘’You still cold?’’ Louis shook his head. ‘’’M fine now. Thanks, Haz.’’

‘’There are still goosebumps on your skin’’, Harry pointed out. He rubbed Louis’ arms to warm him up, and Louis decided not to tell him the goosebumps were not related to the cold at all. Not when he himself did not understand why his body reacted the way it did when Harry touched him.

Louis rested his head on Harry’s shoulder, much like Harry had done during the flight.

Harry could not help but notice how they seemed to just fit. Whether it was Harry cuddling Louis or the other way around or whichever way their bodies entwined, it always fit. The revelation both scared and amazed Harry.

He let his lips softly brush against Louis’ temple. Louis’ body shuddered at the touch.

‘’H’’, Louis said, his voice barely a whisper. ‘’Yes?’’ Harry replied, swallowing loudly.

‘’About earlier, in the restaurant, it seemed like you wanted to say something else.’’

Harry licked his lips, not knowing what to say.

It was at this moment that Niall chose to enter the room. ‘’Hello, lovebirds!’’ he shouted as a greeting. ‘’I’m not disturbing anything, am I?’’ he asked as he flopped down on the ground next to the pair.

‘’No, not at all’’, Harry spoke, faster than he had ever done in his entire life. Anything to get out of the awkward conversation he and Louis were bound to have sometimes.

‘’In fact, I promised my mum to call her, so I will just go ahead and do that right now.’’ He lifted himself from the position he was sat in.

‘’Alright’’, Niall said, oblivious to the situation, ‘’say hi to Anne for me.’’

‘’Will do’’, Harry told him as he made a beeline for his and Louis’ shared bedroom.

He shut the door, slumped against it, and let out a breath he did not know he had been holding.

He gave himself a few seconds to recover before opening his suitcase to search for his laptop.

The internet connection in the mountains was not exceptionally good, but ten minutes later Harry still found himself face-to-face with his mother.

‘’Hi mum’’, he said. His heart warmed at the broad smile that appeared on Anne’s face upon seeing her son.

‘’Hi, Harry, sweetie, how’s Austria treating you?’’

‘’It’s good. It’s beautiful here. Great food. Lots of snow’’, he added. ‘’How’s everything at home?’’

‘’Same old, same old’’, Anne replied. ‘’Gemma’s been busy and so have I, but we’re having a girls’ night tomorrow. Robin’s doing fine, as well.’’

‘’That’s good to hear, mum. Give them my regards.’’

Anne frowned, sensing something was off, the way mothers often feel it when their child does not feel well, whether that be physically or mentally.

‘’Honey, is there something wrong?’’

Nerves rushed through Harry’s veins, knowing this was the moment to tell her what he had been wanting to tell her for a little while already.  
He had imagined this moment about a hundred times already, had even practised every line in the mirror. But, right now, his mind went blank. He was at a loss for words. He had said them so many times, but nothing could have prepared him for the real thing. 

‘’Mum, I’m… There’s something I have to tell you.’’

Anne patiently waited for him to continue, not wanting to scare him off or push him to do or say anything he was not ready for yet.

‘’Mum, I’m not like most boys.’’ Tears prickled in Harry’s eyes. What he was about to admit to was something he had never told anyone ever. 

‘’I’m… I- I like boys’’, he managed to croak out. A fat tear rolled down his cheek. Not a tear of sadness, nor cheer. It was a tear of relief. More tears were released and rolled down without his control. ‘’I like boys’’, he repeated, this time louder and more clearly. He had thought those words so many times, especially late at night when thoughts like these were haunting him and prevented him from sleeping, but now that he said them out loud, to his mum, it felt so much more real all of a sudden. He just wanted to shout out all of the things he had kept inside for so long. He could not, however, with his four mates so nearby.

‘’Oh, Harry’’, his mum said. His brain registered how she was also crying.

‘’I’m so proud of you, my baby’’, she told him through her tears.

‘’ _Y- you are_?’’ Harry asked incredulously. His mum had always been supportive of the LGBT-community, but that did not mean she would have a positive reaction when hearing her son was part of the community himself. Many parents claimed to be supporters, but did not want their own child to be gay or bisexual or transgender or part of one of the many other groups the community consisted of that strayed from the most common sexuality.

‘’Yes, of course I am. I’m so proud of you for being honest with me. With yourself. I love you so much. You’re my baby.’’

‘’Thank you, mum’’, Harry sniffled. ‘’That means a lot to me. The world actually.’’

Anne smiled. ‘’I must admit. I kind of had a hunch. Especially when you took such a liking to that German boy you that one holiday. Was that what made you realise you liked boys?’’

Harry thought about that question for a moment. He remembered not understanding his friends’ infatuation with girls when they started to become interested in the opposite sex, rather paying attention to his mates. In a platonic way, he initially thought, because what other way was there?

Then, his teenage years came, and well, he soon discovered he liked looking at the lads around them in a more-than-friends sort of way. He befriended girls, was jokingly made out to be a womaniser, but never felt any type of attraction to his girl friends whatsoever.

He did have a girlfriend at one point, but that was merely because he thought it was the natural thing for him to do. Every boy around him seemed to have one, so it only seemed fit that he would follow their example. They broke up soon enough.

When he met the German boy his mum was talking about all of his doubts vanished. He knew for sure he liked boys. 

‘’Yeah, it was that time’’, Harry answered his mum.

Now, he did not even remember the boy’s name. It was something similar to Jonathan, but he could not be sure anymore.

Not when all of his thoughts were occupied by one boy and one boy alone.

‘’Is there someone special?’’ Anne asked. It was as if she had read his mind.

Harry hesitated. He did not know if he wanted to share his unrequited love for bandmate, who was also his roommate, who was also his very best friend, to his mother.

‘’So, there _is someone_ ’’, Anne said, noticing his hesitance.

‘’Yeah’’, Harry admitted with his head down.

‘’Is it Louis?’’ his mum asked quietly.

‘’Yeah.’’

‘’Harry, sweetie, please look at me.’’ Harry obliged and looked into his mum’s kind eyes.

‘’Louis loves you, honey. Just as much as you love him’’, she told her son.

‘’He does.’’ Harry sighed. ‘’But not in the way I want him to.’’

‘’You don’t know that.’’ Harry hated the way his mum was looking at him, with sympathy and something that seemed an awful lot like pity.

‘’I _do_ know’’, Harry said.

‘’Well, have you told him how you feel?’’ Anne asked, to which Harry shook his head.

‘’Well then you can’t possibly know if he likes you back or not.’’

‘’Mum’’, Harry insisted, ‘’I’m sure.’’

‘’I’m sure too, Harry. I’m sure you have a chance if you talk to him.’’

‘’I’ll see.’’ Harry sniffed. ‘’This whole coming-out thing turned depressing very fast.’’

‘’Then let’s bring that lovely smile back on your face’’, his mum said, smiling sweetly at her boy.

‘’I wish I could hug you now. I’m so, so proud of you, honey’’, Anne told him.

‘’A virtual hug will have to do then’’, Harry said, smiling as he stretched his arms outwards.

Anne laughed as she copied his movements. ‘’Almost feels real’’, she said jokingly.

Harry looked at her, wishing he could hug her for real right this instance. But, that was impossible. He was here, in Austria, while she was all the way across the pond. Well, the Channel, really. But there were still some countries in between them.

Behind his mum, he could see Gemma popping into the screen.

‘’Hi, little bro. Long time, no see’’, she greeted him.

‘’Hey, Gems. Heard you’re busy.’’

‘’Yep. Been stuck in my room for seven hours on end’’, she said. ‘’Finally able to take a break. How’s the trip so far?’’

‘’Well, it’s only day one, but it’s good. It’s nice out here.’’

‘’I’m glad to hear. Wait- were you crying?’’ Gemma asked. She inspected both her brother’s and her mum’s face. ‘’Is something wrong?’’ She had a worried look on her face.

The worry soon turned into delight as she gazed over Harry’s head. Within seconds, he was joined by a sleepy-yet-joyful-looking Louis.

‘’Hi Anne. Hi Gemma.’’ His chin was on Harry’s shoulder as he peered at the two women on the screen.

‘’Hey Louis’’, they said in unison, Anne throwing in a not-so-subtle smirk towards Harry.

‘’Hi, Lou’’, Harry said. ‘’Hey, Haz.’’ Louis looked at him and smiled his special smile which was reserved for Harry alone.

Fear filled Harry’s eyes as he thought of the possibility of Louis having heard the entire conversation he had had with his mum.

‘’How long have you been there?’’ he asked him, trying his best to refrain from jumping from the bed and running out of the room.

‘’Long’’, Louis replied, dragging out the vowel. Harry’s eyes widened in dread. Anne held her breath as she watched the two boys.

Louis then burst out in laughter. ‘’I’m kidding. You should’ve seen your face, Haz. It’s like you were concocting a murder plan or summat.’’

Harry pouted and Louis said, ‘’No, no, none of that.’’ He threw his arms around the taller boy and peppered kissed all over his cheeks. ‘’I need my Harry to be happy.’’

Harry did not hear his sister saying, ‘’This turned very gay very quick’’, as he was currently focusing on not turning his face and finding out what Louis’ lips felt like on his.

‘’Happy again?’’ Louis asked him. Harry snorted. ‘’You might have to kiss me some more.’’

He mentally face-palmed himself for giving that answer. Louis blushed and removed his arms from Harry’s body. He didn’t know what had gotten into him, why he had just kissed his best friend. It was not on the lips and it was only a moment between bros, but still.  
When Harry focused on the screen of his laptop again, he found that his mum and sister were still there. ‘’Um, sorry’’, he mumbled.

‘’No need to apologise’’, his mum said. Gemma gazed at her brother with a stern look. ‘’I still wanna know what you two were crying about.’’

‘’What? You were crying?’’ Louis asked, concerned.

‘’No, it was nothing’’, Harry assured him. He turned to Gemma, mouthing, ‘’I’ll text you’’. 

After that, they ended the conversation, Anne claiming she had some cleaning to do and Gemma returning to her room, but not before reminding her brother to text her.

Which he decided to do after having told Louis he needed one minute to himself (Louis gave him his privacy but not before having him promise to watch a film together afterwards). 

Still feeling relieved from coming out to his mum, Harry felt a little bold and decided to send Gemma a rather funny text he might come to regret later. And so, a few minutes later, Gemma looked up from her study book to read:

 _My name is Harry_  
_Tabloids often call me the ghost of the youth of Mick_  
_They also call me a womaniser_  
_But really, I like dick_

She quickly fired a text back, smiling at her phone.

_you’re so stupid. but i’m really proud of you. love you little bro xx_


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thank you so much for reading this story, it means a lot to me. This chapter is a bit more serious, which I hope you'll like. Next chapter is a lot more fluff and some action (mind out of the gutter, you'll have to wait a little longer for smut, but there is some serious progress when it comes to larry).
> 
> Also, in six hours, the clock will strike twelve where I live and it'll no longer be twentygayteen. I wish you all a wonderful New Year's Eve, and a lovely year with good health, and lots of joy and happiness. May 2019 be your best year yet!
> 
> Lots of love,  
> J xx

‘’Finally, there you are’’, Louis sighed as Harry joined him on the plush couch that faced the telly. 

‘’I only took about fifty seconds’’, Harry told him. Louis huffed. ‘’’S fifty seconds too many.’’

Harry slung his arm around Louis shoulder. ‘’Aw, was my wittle drama queen wonely?’’   
Louis shot him a faux-annoyed look as he pressed the power button of the television.

‘’I was fine in my own company, thank you very much.’’ Harry laughed at that. ‘’I’ll bet.’’  
He ignored the rush of warmth through his body when Louis snuggled close to him.

_Just friends._

As the opening scene of the film Louis had chosen was shown on the screen, Harry immediately recognized the characters.

‘’But, Lou, I thought you didn’t care for ‘’my kind of films’’?’’ Harry asked incredulously, making air-quotes at the last few words.

Louis shrugged. ‘’You like it, so.’’ Harry smiled as he watched people hug each other at Heathrow airport. He _did_ like _Love Actually_. Loved it even. It was his all-time favourite and Louis knew.

‘’Thanks, Lou’’, he said, the broad smile that had appeared never leaving his face.

‘’No biggie, H’’, Louis replied, patting Harry’s thigh. Harry swallowed, willing his body not to react to Louis’ friendly gesture.

-

‘’Fuck, this always gets to me so much’’, Harry sniffled, tears prickling in his eyes, threatening to spill.

On the screen, Andrew Lincoln’s character was now silently professing his love to Keira Knightley’s.

‘’Why?’’ Louis asked, his eyes remaining fixed on the screen.

‘’Because of the unrequited love. He loves her so much, it’s killing him and he needs to tell her. But they can never be together, because she’s married to his friend. He’s laying everything out in the open, knowing nothing can ever happen between them. It’s so sad.’’ Harry wiped his eyes.

Before Louis could say anything, he continued his rant. ‘’And you kind of get the hint she likes him back, but she’s married and it’s too late. He loves her so much, but they’re only friends and she never noticed anything and shit- why can’t she just love him back goddammit!’’

Harry let out a few deep breaths, having grown quite frustrated. And not just because of the movie, but because one day he’ll have to watch Louis in front of the altar with some woman and that’s all he’ll ever do. Watch. Because, just like in the film, he has no chance in hell of being the person Louis’ standing with.

‘’You okay there, Haz?’’ Louis asked worriedly.

‘’’M fine’’, Harry squeaked. Louis brushed his hand through Harry’s hair, the way he knew the younger boy liked it, softly tugging on his curls every now and then.

‘’Personally’’, Louis piped up, ‘’I think the bloke’s a bit of a prick.’’

Harry looked bewildered as he asked, ‘’Why?’’

‘’Well, for starters, he says, or writes – whatever – his actions are without hope or agenda, but then why is he telling her all of this now? When she’s already committed to someone else.’’

‘’B-because he needs to let it all out’’, Harry whispered, but he knows the argument is a bit weak.

‘’He’s not only trying to hurt their marriage, but he’s hurting her as well. The woman he loves’’, Louis continued. ‘’It’s selfish. He should’ve told her way earlier. If it were me, I would’ve swept them off their feet the minute I met them. He shouldn’t have waited. Not when it comes to love’’, he finished.

Harry felt sad. He wished he could be as brave as what Louis had just described.

‘’But, sometimes you can’t just spit everything out and be vulnerable like that’’, he said.

Louis bit his lip. ‘’I guess. But if it’s really important… Even if there’s a tiny, tiny chance, isn’t that worth going for it?’’

He looked over at Harry, who was already gazing at him intently.

‘’You really think so?’’ Harry questioned. ‘’Yeah, I do.’’ 

Harry opened his mouth to speak again, but Louis beat him to it.

‘’It’s just a film, Harry. Don’t worry.’’

The curly-haired boy let out a deep sigh. ‘’Yeah, just a film.’’

-

It was not long after the film had finished that Niall called all boys to assemble for ‘’an important meeting’’.

‘’Why did you call us, Nialler?’’ Zayn asked.

‘’Well’’, Niall said, ‘’it’s very important.’’ Zayn quirked an eyebrow at him, urging him to go on.  
‘’I’m hungry.’’

‘’That’s what you called us for? Because you’re hungry?’’ Louis asked, unimpressed.

‘’Hey, food is very important. It is the most essential need for a human being to live’’, Niall claimed.  
Harry frowned at that statement. ‘’I thought it was water?’’ Niall shushed him, to which Harry held up his hands in surrender.

‘’Let’s go back to Clara’s restaurant’’, Niall suggested. ‘’And spend all of our money on the first day? I think not’’, Liam said, being the responsible one in the group as had been. Niall pouted as his hopes of getting another tasty Austrian meal vanished in front of him.

‘’I can cook up a pasta dish and dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes’’, Harry offered.

‘’Well, food is food’’, Niall said. ‘’Taking one for the team, Hazza, thanks. I’m gonna take a nap.’’

‘’Woah, wait a minute, sneaky leprechaun. Maybe we should help H in the kitchen’’, Louis said.

‘’It’s fine, really’’, Harry replied. He preferred not to have Niall in his kitchen. The Irish lad had a big heart, but an even bigger stomach and he knew that if he let Niall help him, there would be no food left once it was time for dinner.

‘’Can I help you, then?’’ Louis asked. Harry hesitated for a moment. He always loved Louis’ company, but the boy was a menace when it came to cooking. 

‘’I’m good’’, Harry told him. ‘’Seriously, dinner will be ready in no-time. You go do something fun.’’ He turned to Liam and Zayn, who were patiently waiting to know whether they were needed or not. Harry knew they would rather have some time for themselves. Harry was the only one who genuinely liked cooking, which is why he told them, ‘’You too. Go have fun.’’

He waved the three boys off – Niall had already bolted – to go do their own thing, while he searched the cupboards for ingredients.

Management had bought a lot of food, an even mix between healthy products(much to Harry’s delight) and snacks(much to the delight of the four other lads).

He set all ingredients in front of him, contemplating how to start. Within twenty minutes, he had, as promised, fixed up a nice meal for his bandmates and himself. There was even enough left over to fill another plate, which he made a mental note to bring over to Clara later.

After a delicious meal, and half an hour of listening to Niall moan about how good the food tasted, Harry politely excused himself and grabbed the extra plate after having wrapped it in foil, telling the boys he’d be back in a bit.

‘’Okay. Thanks for dinner, Haz’’, Zayn called after him. ‘’Yes, great as always’’, Liam chimed in.

Harry smiled at the praise and went to find his winter coat and boots. The weather had been cold during the day, when the sun was still out. He was not particularly happy to find out how much the temperature had gone down now that it was dark.

As he stumbled outside – yes, stumbled, because he is clumsy like that, which Louis had said he found adorable – he saw tiny snowflakes drifting through the air in the light of a nearby lamp post. The street, if one could actually call it that, was dimly lit, but Harry managed to find his way.

He loved being around the guys, having everyone around always made his heart swell with joy. Yet, being alone for only just a little while, in this wintery, magical, quiet landscape made him feel peaceful. He was alone, but not lonely. It was comforting.

Soon, Clara’s restaurant came into sight. Smoke was expelled from the chimney and the lights were on. It was a rather picturesque sight. One he would not find in London, except from one of those calendars full of landscape photos his mum liked to buy.

A bell jingled as he opened the restaurant’s door. He hadn’t noticed the bell earlier that day and wondered if it were new.

As soon as he set foot into the entrance hall, he was met by a overheated-looking Clara. Her cheeks were bright red, as was the rest of her face, and sweaty strands of hair clung to the side of her face.

‘’Oh, hi, darling’’, she said in that thick accent Harry remembered from earlier. ‘’Harry was it, right? I caught your friends calling you that.’’

Harry nodded. 

‘’Would you like anything to eat or to drink, perhaps?’’ Clara asked him sweetly. She looked stressed out, but still managed to be friendly as ever.

‘’Oh, um, no, I actually came to bring you this’’, he responded, offering her the plate of pasta. ‘’It seemed like you were the only one working here and I figured you’d be busy and didn’t want to have to cook for yourself as well.’’

Clara’s features softened even more if possible. ‘’How thoughtful of you’’, she said. ‘’What a gentleman. I’m just finishing up. Can you wait five minutes?’’

‘’Sure’’, Harry replied. ‘’Do you need any help?’’

‘’Oh, I couldn’t ask that from you’’, Clara answered, but Harry saw she was unsure. ‘’I don’t mind. Used to work in a bakery myself.’’ The older woman smiled at that.

And that was how Harry found himself cleaning off the counter as Clara took care of the last of the dishes. It was relatively early for a restaurant to be closed, it being only half past nine, but if Clara was all by herself, Harry understood why she had not kept it open for much longer. She already seemed overworked. 

The pasta was patiently waiting to be eaten as the duo finished off their chores.

‘’Thank you so much, Harry’’, Clara said after she re-appeared. ‘’You are an angel.’’ Harry gave her a shy smile, cheeks turning pink at the compliment.

‘’Um, I made you pasta. I don’t know if you like it and I’m nowhere near as good of a cook as you are, but… yeah…’’

Clara pinched his cheeks in a motherly way and looked at him gratefully before unwrapping the plate, throwing out the foil.

‘’If it tastes even halfway as good as it smells, I think I’m in for a treat.’’ She pointed at the food. ‘’Do you want some?’’

Harry shook his head. ‘’No, but thank you. I already ate.’’

‘’Ah, with your friends?’’ Clara asked. Harry nodded in reply. ‘’They seemed like sweet boys’’, Clara said. Harry nodded again. ‘’They are.’’ He smiled as he thought of how Clara would react if she found out who Harry and his friends really were.

‘’I’m so sorry for the misunderstanding’’, Clara said, her voice nothing short of sincere. Harry blinked, not knowing what she was talking about.

‘’With Louis’’, the woman clarified. ‘’Me thinking you were a couple.’’ Harry remembered the slightly awkward moment during lunch.

‘’Ah, well, yes. That’s okay. Besides, you were only partially wrong.’’ The words had left his mouth before he could have thought about them. He trusted Clara, though. She had been so nice and he felt at ease with her. It was tiring keeping this large secret. It had felt so relieving telling his mum about his feelings for Louis. He figured he might as well tell Clara the truth.

‘’What do you mean, darling?’’ Clara asked. Harry took a deep breath before saying, ‘’Louis is the love of my life. And, I am Louis’ best friend.’’

Clara shot him a sympathetic look upon realising what he meant. ‘’I’m sorry, Harry.’’

‘’It is what it is.’’

‘’Maybe one day?’’ Clara offered. ‘’Yeah, maybe’’, Harry lied. 

‘’Der Liebe ist kein Ding unmöglich.’’  
Harry looked at Clara, having no clue as to what she had said to him.

‘’Nothing is impossible for love’’, she translated. Harry gave her a small smile, knowing she meant well.

‘’Have any more of those German quotes?’’ he asked her.

‘’Mit der wahren Liebe ist's wie mit den Geistererscheinungen: alle Welt spricht darüber, aber wenige haben etwas davon gesehen’’, she said. Again he had no clue what words had been spoken, but they had sounded beautiful to him either way.

‘’What does it mean?’’ he asked. ‘’

‘’With true love it's like seeing ghosts: the entire world talks about it, but few have ever seen it.’’

‘’That’s… really beautiful’’, Harry told her.

‘’Look, Harry’’, Clara began, ‘’I have only known you for half a day, but if you think Louis is the one, I think you should go for it. I recall you calling him the love of your life. You have something many people can only dream of. You’ve seen the ghost.’’

The conversation reminded him of the one he had had with Louis during Love Actually.

‘’But ghosts don’t exist. Or maybe they do, I don’t know, but-‘’ He felt himself becoming confused and frustrated all over again.

‘’Enough buts, Harry. It doesn’t matter whether they exist or not, what matters is that you love someone and maybe he loves you back. You’ll never know if you don’t take a chance.’’

‘’That’s true, I suppose. It’s just so hard. There’s so much at stake.’’ 

‘’I am positive you will work it out. I have faith’’, Clara said. ‘’Thank you’’, Harry replied softly. He had only met this woman today and already he was pouring out his heart to her. And Clara had listened and comforted him.

‘’I’m so sorry for telling you all of this. You were tired and I shouldn’t have kept you busy like that. You probably want to go home’’, Harry said, an apologetic look on his face.

‘’Aw, darling, it is fine. It is rare these days to have someone to be so open about their feelings like that. People either pent everything up or there are no emotions at all. I often see young couples coming in here for a date and spend the entire time on their phones, not even bothering to look at one another. I quite like hearing about your ghost.’’

Harry blushed when she called Louis his. 

‘’So tell me, what made you fall for him?’’ Clara asked curiously. Harry thought of ways to respond, but his gaze then fell on the untouched plate of pasta.

‘’I’m sorry I kept you from eating. You must be starving’’, Harry said. Clara waved his comment off. ‘’Oh, pish posh, I am fine. How about this, I will eat while you tell me all about Louis?’’

She pierced a bite of pasta her fork and lifted it to her mouth. After having swallowed, she exclaimed, ‘’This is great! I should hire you as a chef here.’’

Harry chuckled. ‘’It’s not that good, but thank you.’’

‘’It most definitely is. Now, you and Louis’’, she said, enjoying some more of the food.

‘’I don’t really know what made me fall for him, to be honest’’, Harry said as Clara listened intently. ‘’Don’t get me wrong, I could list thousands of beautiful qualities he has, millions even. But me falling for him… It just kinda happened. I’ve never gone bungee jumping, but I’ve read a lot about it. There’s a lot of anticipation, like, you know something’s gonna happen. The moment is so near and it’s nerve-wracking, but also really exciting. And then, all of a sudden, you’re in a free fall. The air envelops you and you’re plunging to the ground, dangling by this little cord, and you should be scared, but you’re not. It’s the most exciting moment of your life and you wonder why you haven’t done this before. That’s what falling for Louis was like.’’

Clara swallowed a bite of pasta. Harry noticed she had become a little teary-eyed.   
‘’You really love him, don’t you?’’ she asked. It was a rhetorical question. There was no doubt what Harry’s answer would be. Nevertheless, he nodded.

‘’He’s just… so amazing. He is incredible kind, one of the kindest people I have ever come across. His heart is truly made of gold. He would never hurt a fly, even though he likes to act all sassy from time to time. He is the most loyal friend you could wish for. And he is smart, like, so smart. And he doesn’t even know it, but he often makes these comments that are crazy intelligent and make me fall even harder for him. And his wit, oh God, his wit. Never has he ever not managed to make me laugh. He always knows just how to cheer me up. 

I’ve always wished for a person I could look up to. He is just that. He’s my best friend. My idol. And those are just some of the qualities. Some of the ones on the inside. And I think, gosh, there’s so much beauty in one person, there can’t possibly be any more, can there? Then I look at him and my brain just stops working, and my heart starts doing overtime. His eyes are this beautiful cerulean colour, and his smile can light up the entire world, the universe too, probably.

He’s the person I want to catch me when I’m doing a trust fall. He’s the person I want to be stranded on a deserted island with. He’s the person I want to spend my forever with. God, I’m pathetic, aren’t I?’’ Harry finished with a sigh.

‘’Of course you are not. You’re in love’’, Clara said. 

‘’How about you?’’ Harry asked all of a sudden. ‘’Do you have anyone special?’’

‘’I used to. Still do, I suppose. It’s a long story’’, she said. ‘’I’m on holiday, I have time’’, Harry told her, smiling.

‘’I used to date this guy, man, Phillip. We were so young. Younger than you are. I got pregnant, and he got with some girl he met online. After I had told him about my pregnancy, he took off with his new girlfriend to God knows where, and I was left to raise the baby by myself. 

Luckily, I had a loving family who helped me lots. Even his parents and sister helped me out by giving me money and offering to babysit from time to time. 

When the baby came, I met the love of my life. Nothing I had ever felt compared to what I felt when I finally held her for the first time. I named her Emilia, a name I had always loved. I loved my baby so much, still do. She’s now a mother of a two-year-old herself.’’ 

Clara paused for a moment, smiling fondly at the thought of her daughter. Harry could see the love in her eyes. He hoped that someday he would get to experience that love too, having a child of his own.  
He had always wanted children.

‘’Phillip also had an older brother. He was three years our senior.’’ Clara’s voice turned shaky and Harry knew they had got to the more delicate part of the story.

‘’His brother, Ben, had always been very kind to me. He offered to buy me stuff for Emilia as well and even babysat her a few times. We became friends, and I… I got things confused. He was so nice to me, treated me so well, which was a new to me after having dated Phillip, who had never been much of a gentlemen. I was so grateful for Ben. I mistook that gratitude for love. I got scared. His brother had hurt me so much by leaving me, I didn’t know what to do. So, I shut him out. I ignored all his attempts to contact me, trying to save myself from another heartbreak. I declined all his calls and after a while he stopped calling.

I have never regretted anything more. Later, I convinced myself I was never in love. That, like I said, it was just gratitude. But then I saw him about four years later, with this beautiful woman, and my heart shattered. I realised it had always been love.

I haven’t seen him in years. I have no idea where he is now or what he’s doing. But to this day, I still miss him.’’

‘’Did he love you?’’ Harry asked.

‘’He said he did’’, Clara answered. Harry took her hand. ‘’I’m really sorry, Clara. About all of it. You are a wonderful woman and you deserve your happy ending.’’

‘’Don’t we all?’’ Clara said, trying for a smile as she brought Harry in for a hug.

‘’Then again’’, she said, deciding to switch to a lighter topic, ‘’I think I have already found my happy ending. I might just have to marry this pasta you’ve made.’’

Harry let out a loud, honking laugh. ‘’I can cook you something else tomorrow, if you’d like. It’s no trouble at all’’, he added when he saw she was about to protest.

‘’If you insist’’, Clara said playfully. ‘’I do’’, Harry replied. 

‘’I’d better get home. Otherwise the boys might start to worry’’, he told her. Over an hour and a half had passed since he had left the cottage.

‘’Sure. Get back to your boy’’, Clara said with a wink. Harry had to bite his lip to stop his face from contorting into what is his ‘’Louis’ face’’ – heart eyes, blushing cheeks, and an oddly weird, lopsided smile.

‘’Thanks so much for the food and for listening, darling’’, Clara said.

‘’It was my pleasure’’, Harry told her as he put on his coat, which he had taken off before helping Clara do her chores.  
‘’And thank you as well for listening. It was really nice to talk about… everything, really.’’

‘’Oh, sweet boy’’, Clara said, hugging him goodbye. ‘’You’ll get your happy end. I promise you that. Maybe you’ll have to wait a bit longer, but I’m sure your ghost is worth the wait.’’

‘’He is worth everything’’, Harry replied. ‘’And thanks again. I really hope you get your happy end too, Clara, and I’m not talking about marrying my pasta dish’’, he said on a giggle. ‘’You will. You deserve it.’’

After that, Harry stepped into the cold air again. The street seemed to have turned a lot more light even though nothing had changed. _Or maybe things had_ , Harry thought to himself as he started toward the cottage. He’d just have to wait and see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!♥


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi :) This chapter is quite special to me, and I hope you like it. Thanks so much for reading!  
> I hope you all have had a lovely New Year's Eve.
> 
> xx J
> 
> Songs: Hoodie Allen, Ed Sheeran - All About It & Gavin James - Nervous

‘’Hello, stranger’’, was the first thing Harry heard as he entered the cottage management had arranged for the boys to stay at in the course of their trip. Harry looked around the room and was met with Louis’ sparkling eyes, a grin visible on his face.

‘’Hi, Lou’’, he said. His insides immediately turned to a warm mush. ‘’I wasn’t gone for that long, now was I?’’

Louis pouted. ‘’Still missed you. We watched a film and there was no one to cuddle me.’’

Harry chuckled. ‘’You could have asked Liam or Zayn. Or what about Niall? He loves to cuddle!’’

‘’Zayn would’ve ended me as soon as I did as much as lay a finger on him. Liam’s Liam. And Niall… ‘S not the same’’, Louis responded. Harry shook his head in amusement.

Liam spoke up from where he was sitting Buddha-style on the couch. ‘’Excuse me? What is wrong with my idol Niall Horan? I would give my soul for one of his hugs!’’ he exclaimed.

The boys liked to imitate their fans from time to time and Liam had taken a liking to acting like he was Niall’s biggest fan. In secret, he probably was. The other lads suspected he had a secret fan account on Twitter.

‘’He doesn’t have curly hair’’, Louis told Liam, who in turn looked offended. ‘’My king’s hair is absolute perfection’’, he said, feigning aggravation.

‘’You pipe down and go back to your Niall tumblr’’, Louis sassed him. He then yawned. ‘’I’m tired. ‘M gonna hit the sack.’’

‘’Me too’’, Harry announced. Liam wiggled his eyebrows at the two, but only Harry caught him doing so. He rolled his eyes and said, ‘’Good night, Mrs. Horan’’, before heading to his bedroom.

He was met with an empty bedroom. Figuring Louis was taking a quick pre-bed shower, he rid himself of clothes. He went through his suitcase in search of his pajamas. He usually slept either naked or wearing nothing but a pair of briefs. He would not, however, risk that when sharing a bed with Louis.

He was still in search of his pajamas, his suitcase being a right mess, when the door opened. He jumped up in surprise and turned around, meeting Louis’ gaze.

‘’Ha. Second time in one day’’, Louis joked.

‘’Well, third time’s the charm’’, Harry replied. He mentally face-palmed himself after the words had left his mouth. Why did he always have to say such stupid things? Louis must think he is stark raving bonkers.

‘’I’ll give you your privacy’’, Louis said. ‘’Oh no, it’s fine’’, Harry, who had already returned his attention back to the suitcase, told him. He turned back around, holding up his pajamas, which were the colour of red wine and had tiny reindeer on them. A gift of his mum. Of course.

Louis giggled as he saw the animals. ‘’Cute’’, he said. Harry blushed as he made quick work of putting the pants on before slipping into a matching shirt.

‘’I’m gonna brush my teeth now’’, he announced, still feeling slightly awkward. Louis nodded. ‘’I’m gonna test the bed.’’

Harry bit his lip and tried to dismiss thoughts of how provocative that had sounded. ‘’Yeah, I’m, um, going now. To brush my teeth.’’

Louis chuckled. ‘’So you’ve said.’’ He was lying on his side, closing his eyes as he rested his head on one of the pillows. Harry watched him for a few seconds, and licked his lips, before he brought himself back to reality and went into the en suite.

-

When he returned to their shared bedroom, he found Louis was already half-asleep. A soft smile made its appearance on his face as he looked at Harry through lidded eyes.

Harry lifted the duvet and crawled into the bed, making sure to leave some distance between him and Louis. He turned off the lights, filling the room with darkness.

‘’H?’’ Louis asked, his voice nothing more than a whisper.

Harry swallowed. ‘’Yes, Lou?’’ He was pretty sure he knew what Louis wanted to talk to him about, his mind flashing back to their lunch at Clara’s.

‘’You acted a bit weird today’’, Louis said. ‘’Weirder than normal’’, he added. ‘’Not that I don’t like you being weird. Your weirdness is brilliant, I promise, but… Fuck, I’m rambling. You just reacted in a strange way when I suggested you liked a girl back in England. I was kind of wondering… why. You looked quite upset.’’

Well, what was Harry going to say now? He couldn’t possibly say, _Hey Louis, I was acting strange because I’m gay. Also, I’m in love with you. Surprise!_

‘’Was I that weird?’’ Harry asked, trying to stall. He needed some more time to come up with an answer that was not contradicting the truth, but did not in any way reveal his feelings for his best friends.

‘’Yeah, kinda’’, Louis replied. Harry heard the drowsiness in his voice and for a minute he wondered if he could stall long enough that Louis would fall asleep before he had to answer any of his questions.

‘’We’re best mates’’, Louis said. ‘’You can tell me anything, you know that right?’’ He sounded unsure of himself, and Harry did not want to be the cause of that. 

‘’Of course we are, Lou’’, he assured him. ‘’I’m- I don’t know why I reacted the way I did when you said that. I mean, girls are awesome. Totally great. I was weird.’’

‘’Harry, I know there’s something else. If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine too. But I worry about you.’’

Harry’s heart sank. He did not want him to worry. There was nothing to worry about. Well. Nothing he should worry about it. 

‘’I’m fine, really. It’s sweet of you to worry, but it’s not necessary’’, Harry told him, hoping this would be enough for Louis to stop worrying. Knowing him, though, it would not suffice.

‘’Okay’’, Louis whispered, sounding a bit disappointed.

‘’Cuddle me?’’ he then asked. He sounded unsure yet again, like he was afraid to be rejected.

Harry scooted over to Louis to fulfil his wish and reached for him. Then, hands were turning him around so he was not facing Louis anymore and he felt arms wrapped around his waist. Louis nuzzled his head in Harry’s neck.

They were so close. And Louis was holding him. Harry would cherish this moment forever. If there was anything that had the ability to describe all he ever wanted, it would be this moment. Just Louis and him. Him and Louis. 

Maybe he should tell Louis the truth. It was bound to get out someday anyway. He did not see himself falling out of love with the boy anytime soon. It would not be long until the other lads began to notice something. His mum already knew. Gemma knew about his preferences.

Harry should just bite the bullet. If the outcome was bad, then so be it. It may not be the right moment, but it was a moment. And Harry had to grab it.

‘’Lou, there is something I need to tell you. I… Lou, I-‘’ He stopped talking when he heard soft snores behind him. Louis had already fallen asleep.

‘’I love you’’, Harry whispered into the dark. He then closed his eyes and let himself drift off in Louis’ arms.

-

‘’Wake up, sexy bitches!’’

Louis groaned as the shouting reached his ears. It was too early for Niall’s loud voice. He envied Harry, who was still sound asleep next to him.

‘’Huh, that’s weird’’, he said to himself. He recalled him and Harry falling asleep while spooning. They must have shifted during the night. He hoped he had not accidentally kicked the boy in his sleep or something like that.

‘’Wake UP!’’ Niall shouted again. The sound came from the living room. The boy had way too much energy for such an early hour. A glance at his phone’s display told Louis it was past ten. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t _that_ early. There still was no reason for Niall to wake them up by shouting, though.

He heard Harry’s snoring hitch. Niall had probably woken him as well. 

‘’You up, baby?’’ Louis asked him, the term of endearment a slip of his tongue.

Harry nodded in response. He lifted the duvet from his body, revealing his reindeer pajamas. ‘’I am now. THANK YOU NIALL!’’ he called out.

Louis heard a ‘’You’re welcome!’’ from Niall, who, in his cheer, had not detected the sarcasm.

‘’What time is it?’’ Harry asked. ‘’A quarter past ten’’, Louis replied. ‘’But if you’d ask Niall, he’d say, ‘’time for food’’.’’ They both chuckled. ‘’For Niall it is always time for food’’, Harry said.

‘’The truest of truths’’, Louis responded as he put on his glasses. He rarely ever wore them in public, but he was used to wearing them in the mornings he spends at his home.

He turned to Harry to find that the younger boy was already looking at him, biting on the nail on his thumb. Louis walked over to him and grabbed his hand, lowering it. ‘’Don’t do that, love. It’s a nasty habit.’’

This made Harry only more fidgety, and Louis wanted, no needed, to know why. There was something going on with his best friend and he wanted to help him. Before he could say anything, though, Harry had disappeared into the en suite.

Louis rummaged through his suitcase and pulled out a pair of boxers, dark-wash jeans, and a plain black T-shirt. He finished his look with a jumper Anne had knitted for him. He remembered receiving it as a Christmas present and his own mum gushing over the snowflakes embroidered in the piece of clothing.

The jumper fit perfectly and had kept him warm on some winter nights that were particularly brutal. He hugged the fabric closer to him and sat down on the bed as he patiently waited for Harry to finish his business in the en suite so Louis could fix the mess his hair was after having slept for so many hours.

Soon, he found himself ready and sat at the dining table, discussing plans for the day with the rest of the lads. His gaze turned to Harry every now and then, determined to find out what was going on. Harry had almost told him something, but stopped himself, and he needed to know what it was.

-

While Niall and Zayn went to find a grocery story after realising management had not provided them with any alcoholic beverages, the other three decided on going for a walk. After lunch, they would check out the slopes together.

As Harry, Liam and Louis were about to pass Clara’s restaurant, they spotted an elderly man struggling to carry a pine tree of medium size. 

‘’Sir?’’ Liam asked politely, catching the man’s attention. ‘’That seems like a rather heavy tree. Would you like for us to help you?’’

‘’Yes, that would be very nice of you’’, the man croaked out. ‘’I thought I could still perform this task, but I’m not as young as I used to be.’’

The boys all smiled at the man as they each helped lifting a part of the tree.

‘’Where to, sir?’’ Louis asked the man. ‘’Alpenrose, the restaurant’’, the latter answered. 

Harry vaguely remembered seeing that name on the napkins on Clara’s restaurant. ‘’Oh, we’re almost there then’’, he said. ‘’You must have been travelling a long time already, sir.’’ He gave the old man a sympathetic look. 

‘’Yes. For about half an hour, which doesn’t seem like much. But with a tree this large…’’

Within minutes, they got the tree where it needed to be. The man sighed in relief. ‘’Thank you very much, boys. Your help is much appreciated.’’

Liam smiled. ‘’It’s no problem, sir.’’ The man stretched a bit. ‘’I am going to sit down for a little bit. Feel free to join me’’, he told the boys. 

Clara walked into the room as the man sat down with a group of people about the same age as him.  
‘’Ah, Rufus, you brought the tree! Thank you so much. But next time, please don’t go alone. It’s not good for your back.’’

The man, Rufus, waggled his pointer finger. ‘’Ah, but I wasn’t alone. These three lovely boys helped me.’’ Louis sensed he probably did not want Clara to know he had been travelling by himself for half an hour before the boys ran into him.

‘’How incredibly kind of you’’, Clara said warmly. ‘’Let me get all of you something to drink. Tea, hot cocoa and a beer, yeah?’’ The boys nodded, impressed with how she had managed to remember their order from the previous day.

‘’A smart girl she is, Clara’’, Rufus said. The group of people at his table nodded in agreement.

Harry, Liam and Louis sat down at the table next to him. ‘’Where do you know her from?’’ Louis politely asked him.

‘’I have known her since she was a little girl. Her parents used to have this wood shop where she helped out, even as a kid. I often visited them. She was such a cute child, everyone liked her. When something… not so pleasant… happened to her, I decided to help her out and we became like family’’, Rufus explained.

Harry knew he was talking about Phillip and the baby. He liked the man already, he seemed like a good person who was not afraid of helping others in need.

Clara returned with their drinks and a scotch for Rufus. The group with Rufus was already provided with beverages.

It was then that Louis stopped a large amount of boxes lining the walls. ‘’What are those for? Christmas decorations?’’ he asked. He had always loved all things Christmas. Not as much as Harry, though, who had practically begged him to turn their flat into a Winter Wonderland.

‘’Yes. I plan on getting the restaurant all Christmas ready today. I even have my own elves to help me’’, she said, winking at the group of older people next to the boys. 

One of the men said, ‘’Hey!’’, but the grin on his face gave away that he was not offended by her comment. They seemed to be close friends too.

‘’Would you like to help me decorate the tree?’’ Clara asked. She had always thought of it as a time-consuming but fun task to do and she hoped the boys would not think of it as a command.

‘’I’d love to!’’ Harry exclaimed, his eyes lighting up in that childish wonder one often sees in children around Christmas time. He cleared his throat. ‘’Unless you want to continue our stroll of course’’, he said to Liam and Louis.

‘’Hell no’’, Liam replied. ‘’We’re decorating that tree!’’ He was almost as enthusiastic as Harry.

‘’I guess we’re elves too now’’, Louis said. Harry looked at him. ‘’Hmm, you do have the right height for it’’, he joked. Louis glared at him. ‘’Ha, ha, the height jokes totally aren’t old already.’’

‘’No, but the people are’’, Rufus teased his group members. Liam chuckled at his comment and put an arm around the older man’s shoulder. ‘’I think we’re going to be good friends’’, he told him.

‘’You all can call me Rufus. Or, as you kids say, R-dawg’’, the man said. Liam grimaced at that last term, claiming he would rather stick to ‘just Rufus’.

Clara fixed them up with a stack of boxes that contained the decorations for the tree. As they opened them, the boys saw beautiful, antique decorations that had probably belonged to Clara’s great grandparents.

‘’I’m so terrified I’m gonna drop something. It’s all so precious’’, Louis said, eyes widened in horror. ‘’Easy there, Gollum’’, Liam replied, picking up a shiny red-and-white ornament.

Louis watched as he carefully hung it in one of the highest branches, sighing in relief when it did not fall to the ground and shatter. 

Before Liam could get to the next ornament, his attention was diverted by a beeping noise. He fished his mobile phone out of the pocket of his jeans and checked his recent texts.

‘’It’s Zayn and Niall’’, he announced. Harry tried to look at the screen. ‘’Well, what did they say?’’

‘’They want me to come help carry the groceries, because apparently felt the need to buy _a lot_.’’ Liam did not sound pleased.

Harry and Louis groaned. If they really had bought that much, it probably had cost a lot. Management only gave them a certain amount of money and they were not doing a good job at saving it for a rainier day.

‘’I have to go’’, Liam told them. ‘’You’ll be okay here without me, though, right?’’ he asked his two bandmates, eyeing the box with ornaments.

‘’Yes, Liam, we will. Now go!’’ Louis said.

Liam called Clara’s name. ‘’I am so sorry, but Zayn and Niall need me. I have to go.’’ He looked genuinely sad to have to leave.

‘’It’s fine, dear’’, she told him. ‘’Go help your friends. Thanks you for stopping for by and helping carry the tree.’’

Liam gave her one last smile before taking off.

-

Harry and Louis were a good team. A great team, even. They were used to working together and moved around each other with ease. It did not take them long to empty all boxes and hang all of the ornaments in the tree. All that was left was the star to go on top.

‘’Will you do the honours?’’ Harry asked Louis, who responded with, ‘’Oh no, you go ahead. You love this more than I do.’’

‘’Maybe’’, Harry replied, ‘’but I did it in our flat already. Now it’s your turn.’’

Louis accepter the golden star with excitement. It had been so long since he had last done it and it had always been his favourite moment of decorating the tree. Not that he had done it often. Having so many sisters, there was bound to be someone else who wanted to put the star on top.

Louis hesitated for a moment as he regarded the tree. ‘’It’s, um, a bit large’’, he said, more to himself than to anyone else. He could stand on the tip of his toes, but even then he would barely reach the top. It was highly likely he would drop the ornament.

‘’I’ll help you’’, Harry said. Louis normally would protest, but Harry was so gentle he allowed it this time. He did not make any jokes concerning his height this time, and he was careful as to not hurt Louis.

Louis was slowly lifted up into the air. He carefully placed the star on top of the tree, admiring his work for a few seconds before he was put back on the ground again.

‘’You’re strong’’, Louis told Harry, for some reason feeling a bit flustered. Harry smiled at him, and said, ‘’The tree looks beautiful.’’ Louis nodded. ‘’It does.’’

Most of the tree was decorated in red, but there were also some white, silver and golden accents.

‘’Boys?’’ Clara asked. They turned around to face her. ‘’Would it be incredibly rude of me to ask you to get the last few boxes from the basement?’’

‘’Not at all’’, Louis replied.

‘’Thank you’’, Clara said sincerely as she was attaching a silver garland above the bar. ‘’It’s down the stairs and then the door on the right.’’

Harry and Louis followed her directions. As they passed various people decorating the room, they both started to feel that warm, cosy feeling only Christmas could bring out in people.

‘’I love how the restaurant is looking so far’’, Louis told Harry approvingly. ‘’Me too. Add the mountains and the snow into the equation and you have the perfect Winter Wonderland.’’

‘’And I thought we did a good job on decorating our flat’’, Louis said. Harry snickered. ‘’We did. We just need some mountains and snow and we’re good to go.’’

Louis laughed. ‘’We could ask Simon for a favour. Don’t think he’ll be very happy with that.’’ Harry giggled at the thought.

They easily found the boxes. There were not many left, and each only had to carry one large one and two smaller ones. Upon their return to the restaurant’s dining area, they placed the boxes next to the other ones.

‘’Oh boys, you know what this means?’’ Rufus asked loudly. His elderly friends began cackling with him. Harry and Louis looked confused. In response, Rufus pointed to the ceiling.

And there it was. A sprig of mistletoe with a tiny red bow around it. The boys’ eyes widened in shock as realisation hit them.

‘’We’re… We’re not dating’’, Harry told Rufus.

‘’We aren’t either, but it’s tradition’’, the old man replied as he pulled one of his male friends close and gave him a smooch. Their friends all burst into laughter.

Harry turned to Louis, who said, ‘’Well, it is tradition.’’

Harry could not believe this was about to happen. Sure, he had dreamt of this about a million times already, but it had gone down entirely different in his head. First, they had both professed their love for one another. Then, they had slowly started to lean in. And then finally, their lips had met.

‘’Give him a kiss!’’ an elderly woman cheerfully exclaimed.

Louis started to lean in, slowly closing his eyes as he neared Harry, who was still trying to fully grasp the situation.

Their lips were only about five centimeters apart when Harry blurted out, ‘’I’m gay!’’

After the words had left his lips, he dashed out of the room, into the wintery cold of the outside world.

‘’That did not go down well’’, Rufus said, his eyes worried. ‘’Yes, it did’’, a woman whispered to him. ‘’Now the other boy will follow him. Just see what happens.’’

Louis did indeed follow Harry outside.

‘’Harry, wait!’’ he shouted. Harry froze when he heard Louis’ voice. The older lad caught up with him fast.

‘’Is that what you were hiding? That you are gay?’’ Louis asked gently, not wanting to spook him.  
Harry nodded. ‘’I’m… gay. I’ve been meaning to tell you, but I just couldn’t find the right moment and I was scared of how you’d react’’, he admitted.

Louis looked at him sympathetically, and, no, that was not how Harry wanted him to look.

‘’Harry, you like boys. That is perfectly fine. You’re still my Hazza. You’re still you. And I quite like you.’’

‘’I’m sorry. I just couldn’t let you kiss me like that without you knowing that about me, because maybe you’d think it was weird or disgus-‘’ Harry’s rant was cut off by Louis closing the gap between them and softly pressing his lips against Harry’s.

It lasted only about two seconds, but it was enough to send an entire swarm of butterflies surging through Harry’s stomach.

As they pulled back, he touched his lips, the feeling of Louis’ still lingering there.

‘’See?’’ Louis said. ‘’It’s not weird. And I would never think you’re disgusting. It’s like they said, it’s _just a tradition_. Yes, you like boys. But there are so many out there. You liking boys doesn’t mean you’re attracted to me in the slightest. It’s fine. It’s us. Just two mates, okay? Don’t sweat it.’’

The butterflies had died in the ten seconds that it had taken Louis to say all of those things.

‘’I’m really proud of you telling me this, H. I know this isn’t how you wanted it to go, but I’m really glad you told me. I love you’’, Louis continued.

Harry swallowed down all of the things he wanted to tell Louis, in particular how it had not been something between ‘’just two mates’’ for him, but he let only one truthful thing slip out of his mouth.

‘’I love you too.’’

‘’Are you okay now, though? It was a pretty tough moment for you, I can imagine’’, Louis asked.

Harry nodded, ‘’Yeah, I’m fine. Can we just not tell the boys yet? I want to do it when I’m ready.’’

‘’Of course’’, Louis replied. ‘’You really are amazing, Hazza. I hope you know that. Nothing’s changed.’’

Harry managed a small smile that did not quite reach his eyes. 

‘’Want to decorate some more?’’ Louis asked. ‘’Sure. I’ll be right up. Just need a moment.’’  
Louis understood and walked back to the restaurant.

Harry took a deep breath and tried to process everything that had happened in the past few minutes. Which was a lot.

The one thing that stood out was the soft look on Louis’ face when he was about to kiss Harry. Harry could still feel a tingling feeling where Louis’ lips had touched his. And, even though it had meant nothing to Louis, a warm feeling started spreading through Harry’s body. It was as if he only now realised Louis Tomlinson had just kissed him, Harry Styles. 

He exhaled one more time before trudging through the snow and returning to the restaurant. He would have to watch out for more mistletoe, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it. If you did, please leave kudos xx


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :)

They didn’t talk about the kiss. Harry did not know whether that was a good thing or not. He figured Louis had already forgotten all about it, what with how carefree the older boy was prancing around the cottage after they had finished up their decorating work at Clara’s.

Afterwards, they had returned to the cottage, where they met up with the other lads. They had been right. It had been no lie that Niall and Zayn had bought a lot. At least it means they were able to have a fancy lunch. It was so fancy they even drank champagne. Louis did not want to know how much the bottle had cost, instead opting to enjoy the meal and alcohol.

They all were careful with the amount of alcohol that entered their system, as they planned to go skiing. Well, almost all of them. Liam did not drink anything, since he had some problems with his liver that caused him to not be able to handle alcoholic beverages very well. Harry switched to orange juice after one glass of champagne, always being the slightly more healthy in the band. He had always been the person that tried to get the others to eat more fruit and veggies. A quest that had proven to be unsuccessful most of the time.

Niall, however, seemed to be inhaling alcohol. He once again proved the stereotype right, that being that Irish people handle their drinks well. The best. Zayn joined him, but for a different reason. He claimed he was too lazy to hit the slopes that day and ‘’would stay home, call his mum, and nap for a bit’’. Maybe he’d even go for a short walk.

Louis _did_ have plans to go skiing and should have held back a bit more with the alcohol.

‘’Lou, I think you’ve had enough’’, Harry told the boy, who was currently giggling at, well, nothing, really. ‘’Maybe you should stop.’’ The curly-haired lad gently took the glass of champagne out of his hands, earning a pout from Louis.

‘’Hazzy! I’m fine.’’ Harry raised one eyebrow at that statement. ‘’Lou, you’re tipsy. More than tipsy even. I think you should either stop drinking or postpone your plan to go skiing.’’

‘’Aw, wittle Hazza is worried about me’’, Louis said, bursting out in more giggles. Zayn rolled his eyes. ‘’I’m not drunk enough for this.’’ He gulped down half a glass of champagne. ‘’Heck yeah, get in!’’ Niall exclaimed, following his lead.

‘’Yes! Louis too’’, Louis said, nay, screamed excitedly. He made grabby hands at the glass of alcohol Harry was still holding.

‘’Lou, no, you’ve had enough’’, Harry told him, his voice sounding pained. He did not like to deny Louis anything. Had never been good at it. 

‘’Harry’s right’’, Liam piped up. He took the glass and handed it over to Niall. ‘’Bottoms up.’’

‘’That… that was mine’’, Louis said, clearly distraught. He had been having so much fun. Was he not allowed to have fun?

‘’Well, now it’s mine’’, Niall replied cheerfully, swallowing the glass’s contents in one go, surprising everyone at the table.  
‘’I wanna try’’, Louis said. Harry cleared his throat. ‘’Another day, love.’’ He turned to Liam. ‘’Is it even responsible for him to go skiing in his current state?’’

Liam shrugged. ‘’I reckon he’s sobered up in a bit. Don’t think it’ll do any harm.’’

Harry looked at Louis, still hesitant. The boy looked back at him with hopeful eyes. He was more than just tipsy, Harry knew that, but Liam was right. He would probably be good to go in a few.

-

That was a severe miscalculation. 

The four of them – Zayn being at the cottage – started the relatively short journey to the joint ski school and restaurant. The weather was lovely, perfect for what they were about to do.

Niall, cheerful and surprisingly sober, marched ahead of the others, wanting to get to there as fast as possible. Harry and Liam walked with Louis, who showed no signs of having drunk one too many glasses of champagne. 

That was, until Niall decided to shout ‘’Yay Austria!’’ at the top of his lungs, causing Louis to groan. _‘’So loud.’’_

Harry and Liam looked at him, their eyes not hiding their concern for him. Louis was quick to form a response. ‘’I mean, because he’s disturbing other people’s holidays. It didn’t bother me or my head. Not at all. Nope.’’ This seemed to reassure the other two, even though he had been blatantly lying. What can he say? He had become a pretty good liar over the years. Not only was had he successfully mastered the art of being dishonest to others, but also to himself. It was not much of a good thing.

Since the boys had brought their own skies, there was no need for them to get in line to borrow equipment. They did, however, have to get their ski passes, which was about the only thing management had not provided them with. Apart from alcohol, of course. Louis was beginning to see why they had refrained from the latter.

Their ski passes where valid for the rest of their stay. They got Zayn one too, so he did not have to purchase one later on.

As they gathered their gear, Louis leaned toward Harry to whisper in his ear. ‘’I may or may not have lied earlier and I am really fucking dizzy.’’ He noticed Harry wince like he always did when Louis cussed. The younger boy used swear words from time to time as well, but for Louis, using them had become more like a habit.

Harry looked into his eyes, and due to their proximity, he could feel Harry’s breath fanning his cheeks. Simultaneously, they both took a step back.

‘’Lou, I told you to not drink so much’’, Harry whisper-hissed. Louis felt a bit disappointed in himself, knowing he should have listened to his best friend. But he was having so much fun. He was able to enjoy alcohol for the first time in ages. They had been so busy with their work before, there had simply been no occasion for him to drink even so much as a beer.

He also knew drinking had a weird effect on him. It had always had. For him, a hangover would not come the morning after, but more like an hour later. Granted, he was not hungover right now, but he had drunk quite a lot. And he definitely had a minor headache and major dizziness.

‘’I- I can’t go skiing with you guys’’, Louis said. Harry nodded at him. ‘’I’m just gonna… yeah.’’ Louis pointed at the restaurant as he started walking backwards, crashing into the wall just as Harry called, ‘’Louis, watch out!’’

‘’Ow, fuck!’’ Harry hurried over to him, rubbing his back where he had collided with the wall. Luckily, his head had not become a victim.

‘’Niall, Liam’’, Harry said, trying not to raise his voice too much, knowing Louis would not be taking it well. ‘’You go without me. I’m staying with Louis. He’s not feeling well.’’

Louis tried to push him away. ‘’I’m fine. You don’t need to babysit me. Really. I’m fine.’’ He proved he wasn’t when a specifically sharp pain flashed through his head. He sunk to the ground, barely registering Harry crouching next to him.

His hair was softly stroked by Harry, who whispered, ‘’You and your weird drinking ways. You’re the only one I know who gets hangover immediately after having drunk alcohol.’’

Liam sat down next to him, placing his hand on Harry’s shoulder. ‘’You sure about staying? You can go skiing, and I’ll keep an eye on Louis’’, he offered. It was clear he was not excited about this idea at all, but Liam had always been one to set aside whatever it was he wanted to help others.

‘’I’m good. You go have fun’’, Harry told him, offering him a smile. Liam shot him a grateful look before returning to Niall, who was saying something like, ‘’Come on, Lima bean. Let’s go already!’’ Harry chuckled before returning his attention back on Louis. His eyes instantly turned worried again.

‘’What am I going to do with you?’’ Harry asked, more to himself than to Louis. There was no way he was forcing Louis to walk back to the cottage in his current state. But then what? They could not just _sit_ there.

Harry looked around, eyes locking on the restaurant’s sign. He patted Louis’ thigh. ‘’How ‘bout we get you a strong cup of coffee?’’ he suggested. Louis moaned. He had never liked coffee, which Harry knew, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Louis was back on his feet – literally – with some help from Harry, who was now leading him towards the restaurant’s entrance.

‘’Harry, I really don’t want you to feel like you have to stay here with me instead of having fun on the slopes’’, Louis tried, already knowing Harry was not going to budge. It was worth a shot, at least. He wanted his friend to enjoy his vacation and not have to constantly look after others. He felt guilty.

‘’None of that’’, Harry responded. ‘’Besides, I always have fun when I’m with you.’’

‘’Even when I don’t feel well and am a mess?’’

‘’Even then.’’ Harry smiled, a grin spreading on his face. ‘’Especially then. I quite like to see you suffer’’, he said teasingly. Louis stuck his tongue out at him, causing Harry to laugh. Louis smiled. At least he did that right.

‘’C’mon. Let’s get you some coffee’’, Harry said, approaching the counter. Louis groaned. ‘’Ugh, the devil’s drink.’’

Harry shook his head in amusement as he walked up to the patron standing at the register.

‘’Welcome to Restaurant Sissi’’, a young man asked Harry. His gaze fell on Louis, a smirk making its way onto his face. He smoothed his hair with his hand, flexing his biceps with the motion, as he asked in a sultry voice, ‘’What can I get you?’’

‘’A hot chocolate for me’’, Harry spoke up, ‘’and black coffee for my _boyfriend_. And we’ll also have a brownie with vanilla ice cream.’’ He turned to Louis, smiling awfully sweet. ‘’A treat for you after you’ve finished your coffee, babe.’’ Turning back to the patron, he was glad to notice the smirk had left his face.

‘’Fine, I get it’’, the man said, glaring at Harry. ‘’Coffee, a hot chocolate, and a brownie coming up.’’

‘’Don’t forget the vanilla ice cream’’, Louis piped up, ignoring to the stare-down between the two other lads.

‘’Noted’’, the man said, rolling his eyes.

Harry led Louis to one of the tables in the back of the restaurant, wanting to put as much distance as possible between Louis and the man.

‘’Why’d you do that?’’ Louis asked as soon as they had sat down. Harry blinked. ‘’Did what?’’  
Louis crossed his arms over his chest. ‘’You know what I mean. Call me your boyfriend.’’

‘’Oh, um, he was eyeing you like you were a piece of meat. Didn’t like that. At all. It was like he wanted something from you.’’

‘’Well, I _am_ hot, so… No surprises there’’, Louis replied. ‘’But yeah, he was a bit creepy’’, he agreed.

‘’Did, um, it bother you?’’ Louis then asked, voice low. Harry looked at him, awaiting further elaboration. ‘’Him flirting with me, I mean.’’

Harry bit his lip. It obviously did. ‘’Not me personally. I was just looking out for you as a mate, y’know’’, Harry said.

‘’Yeah, that’s what I thought’’, Louis said. He felt a bit disappointed at the answer, although he wasn’t quite sure why.

‘’Besides, you wouldn’t be interested in him anyway. You don’t even like guys’’, Harry continued. Louis thought he sounded a bit unsure and maybe even sad, but convinced himself he had only imagined it. Of course he had.

‘’Right. Yeah’’, Louis replied, looking down at the table, examining all the scratches that had been carved into the wood throughout the years. 

The patron – Emil, it read on his name tag - from before arrived with their drinks and food, placing everything on the table and stalking off without acknowledging the boys. ‘’Thanks’’, Harry called after him.

‘’About that. Liking boys, I mean. Do you wanna talk about the other day?’’ he asked. He sipped the coffee. Despite the bad, bitter taste he already felt much better.

Harry’s mouth formed a perfect O, his eyes widening. ‘’What about the other day?’’ he asked.

His reaction was a bit strange to Louis, but he did not pay much attention to it. ‘’You know… you coming out to me? We talked then, and like I said, you’re still the same _you_. I just figured you might want to talk about it. Or talk boys, I dunno.’’

Harry waved his hand in dismissal. ‘’No need for that.’’ Louis quirked an eyebrow. ‘’Cashier guy not your type?’’

Harry groaned. ‘’Definitely not.’’ Louis smiled at the response. ‘’Thought so. Any other boys that have caught the attention of the miraculous Harry Styles?’’

‘’Not really. I’m not looking around or anything. When I like someone, I like someone. And when I do, I only have eyes for them. I can flirt with someone else, sure, but nothing more. When I like someone, I want them and only them.’’

Louis folded his hands together and let his head rest upon them as he looked at Harry. ‘’So you _do_ have someone in mind?’’ He felt heat rise to his cheeks with the intensity of Harry’s gaze. The younger boy waited a bit before answering. ‘’No. Not really.’’

Louis sensed there was more to the story, but he also had the feeling that Harry didn’t want to discuss it any further. He knew that the boy would tell him when he was ready. He took his mug of coffee and drowned the remainder – which was still about half the contents – down in one go.

‘’I’m ready for that brownie now’’, he announced.

-

They stayed in the restaurant for a long time, laughing and conversating. It was fun. Talking with Louis had always been one of Harry’s favourite activities, along with watching films with the same boy, or just watching him. 

Even though Harry had ordered the brownie for Louis, the latter was intent on sharing. In turns they fed each other small bites, alternating between the baked good and the delicious ice cream, which melted when it came in contact with the warm brownie.

At one point, Emil came by to check if they needed anything else, something he probably rather did not, and a disgusted expression formed on his features as he looked at Louis feeding Harry a piece of brownie.

‘’Stupid fags’’, he muttered before turning back around and walking off.

‘’Is the person who supposedly hit on me seriously calling us fags?’’ Louis said, brow furrowed. ‘’That seems a bit contradictory.’’

‘’Don’t mind him’’, Harry replied. ‘’He’s an asshole.’’ He was well aware there were people who were not approving of same-sex love, or any form of love that they deemed ‘unnatural’. However, when a person who themselves did not fit the image of the ‘standard’ treated others like him so awfully, it was way worse. If you know from personal experience how much words like those can hurt, why use them yourself?

‘’Hey, are you okay?’’ Louis asked concernedly. ‘’He’s just an asshole. You’re right.’’ He placed his hand on top of Harry’s.

Harry sighed. ‘’I know. And I’m okay. Thanks for asking.’’ He decided to switch to a different topic. ‘’More importantly, how are you feeling? Still dizzy?’’

‘’Better than earlier, that’s for sure. My head still hurts a bit, but I’m fine. Open wide’’, he said, piercing a bite of brownie with his fork and moving it to Harry’s mouth.

‘’Aye, any brownie for me left?’’ a voice asked. As Harry and Louis recognised the sound, Niall pulled up a chair and joined the pair. Liam appeared as well and sat down next to Niall. His cheeks were ruddy from the cold and he looked exhausted, but there was a broad smile on his face.

‘’Did you have fun?’’ Harry asked.

‘’Man, it was incredible!’’ Liam exclaimed excitedly. ‘’Yeah’’, Niall chimed in, ‘’you should’ve seen him go. Looked like a proper skiing god out there.’’ Liam pointed at Harry and Louis with his pinky finger. ‘’You two really need to come with tomorrow.’’

‘’I’m sorry, H. Really’’, Louis said, voice small. ‘’No worries’’, Harry replied kindly. ‘’I had a lot of fun with you today. And tomorrow, we’ll go skiing together, alright?’’ Louis nodded in relief.

‘’Well, I’m going to get me some food’’, Niall said, rubbing his tummy. ‘’Lima, come with?’’ Liam nodded and together they walked over to the counter.

‘’Should we’ve asked them to give Emil our best?’’ Louis joked. Harry snorted, replaying Louis’ words in his head, and then burst out into giggles. Louis looked at him with a fond expression on his face.

Within minutes, Niall and Liam re-appeared. The former had a small piece of paper in his hand and looked at it, confused.

‘’That bloke at the counter just gave me his number. Like, out of nowhere.’’

Harry and Louis burst into laughter simultaneously. 

‘’Probably wanted a friend or summat’’, Niall continued. ‘’Must get pretty lonely out here…’’

‘’Oh sweet, innocent, naïve Nialler’’, Louis said in between chuckles. Harry and Liam laughed even harder at that. And Niall? He just looked at them, even more confused as he had been before.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi :) It's a short chapter, since I'm swamped with homework and tests and whatnot. Updates will be slower for a little while(I'm sorry about that).  
> Hope you like it nevertheless. It has a bit more...spice... and also some Narry, cause I'm a sucker for Narry.  
> Wishing you a great day!  
> xx J

That night, everyone went to bed early. Niall and Liam were exhausted from skiing, Louis was still recovering from his earlier head ache and dizziness, and Zayn, well, Zayn was always in for a nap. Harry was the only one not fast asleep when the clock struck midnight.

He was lying in bed, propped up on his side, as he listened to Louis’ soft, steady breathing. The curtains were only halfway closed – the way Louis liked – allowing the moon to shine into their bedroom, the entire room basking in the light. The way the light fell on Louis’ features was the only thing worth looking at for Harry.

Not taking his eyes of the boy for even a second, he slowly let his sleepiness wash over him, until he too was asleep.

-

As Harry opened his eyes, he met Louis’ gaze. He didn’t know how long the boy had already been looking at him. It could have been just a few seconds. Or minutes. Or hours… That was probably just wishful thinking.

‘’Hey’’, Louis whispered, shaking him out of his thought. The boy smiled, eyes not entirely open as he was still a bit sleepy. Harry found it nothing short of adorable.

‘’Hey yourself’’, he replied. Louis scooted closer to him, making Harry’s heart beat louder and faster. He hoped Louis could not hear it. If he did, he was doing a good job at hiding it.

‘’I keep thinking about that day at Clara’s. The kiss.’’ Harry’s eyes widened upon hearing those words. ‘’Y- you do?’’ he asked. Louis nodded. ‘’It’s all I’ve been doing.’’

He bit his lip, bringing himself even more close to Harry. ‘’About how magical it was. You kissing me like that.’’

Harry swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, unsure of what to say or do. How was this even happening?

Louis brushed his ear with his lips, whispering in a sultry voice, ‘’I want to do it again.’’ He bit his lip again. ‘’Want to do everything with you.’’

He turned Harry onto his back, and with one quick motion he was straddling the younger boy’s hips, all remaining sleepiness having vanished instantly.

He hovered over Harry, their lips almost touching. He softly brushed his lips against Harry’s, causing the other boy to elicit a quiet moan. 

‘’Fuck. _Louis_.’’ He let out a louder moan.

Louis wasted no time in pressing his lips against Harry’s, moving against them feverishly. Harry had no idea how they got there, but there was no time to think as he felt Louis’ tongue licking at his lips, which he immediately parted, granting Louis access.

The kiss turned dirty very quick, the two boys pressing their groins together.

‘’You’re. So. Beautiful’’, Harry managed to say in between kisses. Louis tangled his hands in Harry’s curls at experimentally tugged at them. Harry made no attempt at refraining from letting out loud noises, not caring about the other boys hearing him. '''M so in love with you.''

Louis pulled back just slightly, and Harry could feel his warm breath on his lips. They looked at one another, Harry admiring the electric blue of Louis’ eyes. The right corner of the latter's lips raised the tiniest bit.

Louis’ gaze fell on Harry’s lips and then they were kissing again, their tongues swiping lazily together. Harry could feel something hard poking against his thigh, indicating Louis was just as aroused as he was. Louis who was currently letting his hands roam Harry’s body, going more and more south as he grew bolder and their kisses grew more frantic. Harry could feel Louis’ hand getting closer to where he wanted him, and-

Harry’s eyes flew open, Louis next to him with his eyes still closed, still asleep. Harry’s hips were rutting against the mattress. His motions slowed down. He could feel something hot and sticky in his boxers.

‘’ _Shit_ ’’, he hissed, more curses leaving his lips. He took pride in being able to say he did not cuss that often, but he had literally just came while being in bed with his best mate after having had a rather erotic dream about said best mate.

He checked if Louis was still sleeping, and when he realised he was, in fact, still asleep, he sighed in relief. What happened was bad. But it could’ve been worse. What if Louis had been awake to witness the whole thing? Oh God, what if he had _moaned_ Louis’ name in his sleep? Their friendship was solid as a rock, but that would definitely have ruined it.

He padded over to his suitcase, making sure to be quiet as to not wake up Louis. He changed out of his ruined boxers and grabbed a fresh pair. He made quick work of cleaning himself up in the shower. Just as he re-entered the bedroom, Louis was yawning and stretching his arms above his head.

‘’G’morning’’, Louis said with a smile. ‘’Um, morning, Lou’’, Harry replied, awestruck. How was it fair Louis could look so good after having just woken up? 

He suddenly remembered his dream, and a blush crept its way onto his face. It had been a lovely dream. But it was time to face reality. And those two things could not have been more different.

-

Harry was quiet during breakfast. He did not even listen to whatever it was the boys were discussing, staring at his food, not eating much. He thought no one noticed, until he did decided to look up when he heard Louis’ name being dropped, and met Niall’s eyes. 

The Irish lad seemed to be silently asking him a question, but Harry didn’t understand. Or didn’t want to. It had been a strange morning. He wasn’t ready for the rest of the day.

‘’Pass me the jam, Harry?’’ Zayn asked. Harry slowly turned to look at him, needing a few seconds to process what had been asked, before reaching for the jar and handing it to Zayn.

‘’Thanks, mate.’’ Harry nodded in reply.

‘’Be right back’’, he said. 

He got up from the table and walked to his bedroom. He slipped into the en suite and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked tired, despite having had at least eight full hours of sleep before he was awakened by… Yeah.

He turned on the faucet and splashed cold water in his face. He could feel himself come to live a bit more, no longer in that zombie-like state he had been in earlier.

It was something he had done ever since they first started touring. They worked long days, having to work out, do rehearsals, and record new songs, all while having a show to do in the evening. He never went to bed early, and he had very few hours of sleep before they had to get up again and start the day with a sound check or an impromptu interview.

Harry loved his job. He truly did. He would not trade it for the world. But, there were some serious downsides, his lack of sleep being one of them. He often had dark bags underneath his eyes when he woke up. Concealer could rid him of those, but make up could not make the tired feeling go away. Which is why he often used cold water to get himself to be at least a bit more awake and focused. It did not always work, however. And on the long term, his lack of sleep was bound to have a negative effect on his health.

He returned to the table, joining the boys once again, feeling a bit better. He tried to focus as much as he could on the conversations happening around him, even sharing his thoughts on whatever subject they were on from time to time. By the end of breakfast, he was feeling significantly better.

Part of him had still been scared Louis might have caught him during his wet dream, but the older lad behaved around him the way he had always done – silly, teasing, and fondly. As long as Harry could put this behind him, they’d be fine.

He had a hard time doing just that, however. His mind often slipped to vivid, real-looking images of his dream. He tried not to get hard just thinking about it.

As the boys were getting ready to go skiing – Zayn joining them this time – Niall intercepted Harry on his way to his and Louis’ bedroom.

‘’I need to talk to you’’, Niall said, sounding urgent. ‘’It’ll only take a minute.’’ Harry nodded. He was curious what the boy was so set on talking about.

Niall sat the both of them down on the plush couch. Harry looked at him expectantly.

‘’Something’s happening with you’’, Niall began. ‘’I don’t know what, but there’s something going on.’’ Harry looked down. He had hoped he had been more discreet, but apparently not. Niall had noticed.

‘’Now, you don’t need to tell me anything if you’re not ready or whatever’’, Niall continued, ‘’but if you need a safe space, someone to talk to, someone who won’t judge, I’m here for you. I want you to know that. I want you to feel like you can talk to me. Whatever it is, Harry, I won’t hold it against you.’’

Harry bit down on the nail of his thumb. It was something he did whenever he was nervous. Times just like these.

Niall looked at him with genuine eyes, patiently waiting for him to respond. He was giving Harry time to gather his thoughts, which he appreciated.

‘’I’m in love with Louis’’, Harry softly said, keeping his voice low in fear of the person in question walking in and hearing him.

Niall tilted his head, probably in confusion. ‘’With Louis? As in, Louis Louis? _Our Louis_?’’

His voice was growing louder and Harry shushed him.

‘’Sorry’’, Niall muttered. ‘’I’m guessing we _are_ talking about the same Louis then.’’

Harry nodded.

Niall’s face instantly brightened. He patted Harry on the back. ‘’Well, congrats, man! He is one fit lad. If I were gay, I would definitely do him. What the hell, I’d do him now too. Well, not now that I know that you like him… But, yeah, you get the point.’’

Niall’s reaction surprised Harry. He thought Niall would have been in shock, or at least somewhat caught off guard. He did not even bat an eyelash, just congratulated Harry.

‘’You’re not weirded out or anything?’’ he asked, to which Niall shook his head vigorously. ‘’Of course I’m not. But… do you mean weirded out by you liking Louis or by you liking a boy?’’

‘’Both, I guess.’’

Niall slung his arm around Harry’s shoulder, bringing him closer. ‘’Well, both are completely fine. You like boys? Why not? You like Louis? I’m making that happen! Your love will bloom like the most beautiful of all roses and I, Niall James Horan, vow to take care of that rose and-‘’

Harry cut him off mid-speech. ‘’Louis doesn’t like me. Or any guys, for that matter. I’m pretty sure he’s straight.’’

Niall scoffed. ‘’So is spaghetti until you boil it.’’ 

Harry gave him a look. ‘’Louis is not spaghetti.’’

Niall shrugged at that. ‘’I dunno man, he looks pretty tasty to me.’’ Seeing Harry’s unimpressed look, he held his hands up in defence. ‘’Sorry, I’ll be serious. Look, H, I really think you have a shot here. You’ve always been close, like, _really_ close. There’s a good chance that closeness is more than friendship. Louis loves you. I can’t promise you he loves you like you love him, but I think you should at least try to figure it out.’’

‘’Thanks, Niall’’, Harry said sincerely. He appreciated his friend’s sweet words. 

‘’I’m serious. I really do think he might like you.’’ Harry smiled at that statement. He had given up all hopes of him and Louis becoming a couple a long time ago, but now there was a spark of hope burning deep inside his chest. He should probably hate himself for it, but he just could not. 

He put his arms around the boy sitting next to him, grateful for giving him that spark. Niall reciprocated the embrace.

As they pulled back, he said in a dramatic voice, ‘’Now blossom, my beautiful rose.’’ He even added what probably was supposed to be a French accent.

Harry brought him in for another hug. ‘’I love you, Nialler. Have I ever mentioned that?’’

Niall gently carded his fingers through Harry’s curls in a manner that seemed entirely alien to the way Louis always did it. ‘’Only all the time’’, he replied. He sighed, ‘’But I can’t blame you. Everyone loves me.’’

Harry rolled his eyes, but chuckled nevertheless.

‘’Love you too, Haz’’, Niall told him.

His spirits were lifted and his hopes of ever being with Louis romantically had returned. All thanks to Niall. Harry really loved his friends.

With a broad smile threatening to split his face, Harry went into the bedroom, finding Louis there, already ready to go outside.

‘’You seem chipper’’, Louis said. 

‘’I am’’, Harry replied, beaming at the boy in front of him. He made quick work of grabbing his skiing gear, finally ready for whatever the remainder of the day had in store for him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi :)  
> It's been a while, since I'm really busy. I hope you like this new chapter, although it isn't very long. In a week or two I'll have much more free time and will be able to make longer chapters and update more frequently.
> 
> I probably forgot to add a song to some chapters, but for this one it's: Loïc Nottet - On Fire  
> It's an amazing song. It has nothing to do with this chapter, but it's great and deserves much more recognition so I hope you'll listen to it.
> 
> Wishing you all a wonderful day ♥  
> xx J

‘’Have I mentioned I’ve never gone skiing before?’’ Zayn regarded the slopes with a hesitant look on his face.

‘’Only about a billion times’’, Louis teased. It had actually only been the second time Zayn had mentioned it, but the two boys loved to poke fun at one another from time to time. Or, more accurately, all of the time.

‘’You’ll be fine, Zaynie’’, Liam assured him. ‘’I’ll be holding your hand the entire time.’’ He squeezed Zayn’s hand for emphasis. 

‘’But- but we have to hold the poles’’, Zayn protested. He was wondering whether he could still return to the cottage, away from all the snow, cold and danger. Niall, however, was more than excited for today’s activities. Zayn did not want to disappoint his friend.

His friend who was now whooshing downhill, shouting something no one could decipher as he went.

A lump formed in Zayn’s throat. It all looked so easy when Niall was doing it, but how could he be sure he wouldn’t fall?

Him not ever having gone skiing was only partly true. He had taken beginner’s courses and all, but had never conquered slopes this high and treacherous.

‘’I’ll mentally be holding your hand the entire way, then’’, Liam said. Zayn couldn’t help but smile at his friend’s attempt to get him to gain some confidence and get over his fear.

‘’If you really don’t want to, you don’t have to’’, Harry told him. He looked sympathetically at Zayn, who wanted nothing more to run. Zayn shook his head. ‘’No, Liam’s right. I’ll be fine.’’

‘’Unless you fall and break your leg, of course’’, Louis chimed in. All three boys glared at him. ‘’Not helping Louis’’, Zayn grumbled. Louis shrugged, turning to Harry instead.

‘’You ready, Hazza?’’ Harry gave a nod as affirmation.

In unison, they reached out to grab each other’s hand. Louis looked behind him to meet Zayn’s eyes as he spoke, ‘’Now, Zayniekins, this is how you ski while still holding hands. Watch and learn.’’

And off he and Harry were, Zayn and Liam following them with their eyes as their figures grew smaller and smaller.

‘’Please don’t let go of me’’, Zayn said, almost whispering the words. He was a bit embarrassed to say them, but he knew how understanding and caring Liam was.

‘’I have to. It’s more safe. These two idiots have been skiing for years. Remember that trip they went on last year? They have much more practice than you or I do. It’s much safer with the poles.’’

Zayn nodded, albeit it being reluctant. 

‘’You’ll still protect me though, right?’’ Liam chuckled at that. It wasn’t a rude chuckle or him making fun of Zayn. It was more in a fond way than anything else. ‘’Always’’, was the reply.

‘’Would it help you if I counted to three?’’

‘’Probably not, but do it anyway.’’

Liam nodded. ‘’Okay. One’’, he started the countdown.

‘’Oh fuck, how does one ski again?’’ Zayn started muttering to himself. ‘’I dunno what I’m supposed to do. Fuck, fuck, _fuck_.’’

‘’Two’’, Liam said slowly. Before he could get to three, though, Zayn was already soaring downhill.

Liam could hear him yell, but the words were inaudible to him. ‘’Fuck yeah, mate!’’ he shouted as a response before taking off as well.

He loved the way he was gliding so smoothly through the cold substance, and how he could feel the wind and enjoy the crisp winter air. Skiing was like flying to him. Before he became part of One Direction, Liam’s plans for the future consisted of building aircrafts. He could say he had a deep appreciation for flying. It felt so freeing. He let go of all the stress and tiredness of the past year as he flew his way to the end of the slope, where he met up with Zayn.

Zayn’s cheeks were bright red, a bright smile carved into his expression. ‘’Can we do that again?’’

Liam laughed as he watched his friend talk animatedly about his first proper skiing experience. He had never seen his friend this excited.

Zayn grabbed Liam’s hand. ‘’C’mon, Liam. I wanna go again. Let’s do the holding hand thing.’’

Liam chuckled. ‘’Do you want us to die?’’ He let himself be pulled toward the ski lift anyway, where the other three boys were already waiting for them.

-

They stayed on the slopes for two hours more before eventually having to give in to their exhaustion and – in Niall’s case, at least – their grumbling stomachs. They wandered over to the restaurant. Harry hoped that prick from last time would not be there. 

Much to his delight, he wasn’t. Instead, a girl was behind the counter. Her name tag read ‘’Victoria’’ and she recognised the boys. It was the first time anyone had not looked at them as merely five friends on holiday. 

Victoria’s eyes lit up as she lifted her head to look at the new customers. ‘’Hello and welcome to restaurant Si-‘’ She stopped talking as soon as she had taken a good look at the boys in front of her.

‘’Wow, fuck- I mean, oh my gosh, sorry. I didn’t mean to cuss. It’s just… You are…’’ The boys let her ramble, waiting patiently with a friendly smile on each of their faces. For them, it had always been important to treat their fans like friends and be grateful for what they had done and continued to do for them. It was a sad thing to see when a celebrity treated their fans like dirt. Unfortunately, it happened. That was why they always did their very best to make their fans feel at ease and to be kind to them.

‘’Yep, we are’’, Liam said, the slightest bit of pride audible in his voice. Although they had encountered situations like this one many times before, it was still incredible to them when someone recognised them. After all, they were still ordinary teenage boys at heart, with a dream. A dream that had come true.

‘’I’m a huge fan’’, Victoria said. Tears shimmered in her eyes. ‘’Thank you’’, Harry told her sincerely. ‘’Without the support of our fans, we would be nowhere.’’

This seemed to make her tear up even more. She was desperately trying to pull herself together again. ‘’Be cool, Vic’’, she muttered under her breath, hoping the boys wouldn’t hear. They did. It only endeared them more.

‘’Okay, so, welcome to Sissi. What can I get you guys?’’ she asked, her voice shaky. 

After the boys had placed their orders, Victoria shyly asked if she could get a hug. The boys complied and enveloped her in a group hug. 

‘’We’d appreciate it if you could keep this a secret’’, Liam said to her after they had pulled away. Victoria nodded vigorously. ‘’Of course. I understand.’’ She smiled at them. ‘’Make yourselves comfortable while I get your food and drinks’’, she said, her heart beating loudly in her chest. She wanted nothing more to freak out and scream from the rooftops that she had met her idols, but she respected their privacy and had a job to do.

‘’Will do. Thank you so much’’, Zayn told her.

They occupied a table in the back of the restaurant. ‘’Well, she was proper fit’’, Niall said as he sat down.

‘’Who, Victoria?’’ Zayn asked. Niall nodded. The girl seemed to be around their age, nineteen or twenty probably. Her dark brown, almost black hair was sleek and barely reached her shoulders. Her eyes were an icy blue colour, but looked warm and kind nonetheless.

‘’I agree’’, Liam said, nodding along. ‘’You should get her number, bro.’’

Niall blushed. ‘’Nah, she’s way too hot for me anyway.’’

Louis chuckled. ‘’Man, she adores you already. I saw her eyeing you the entire time. And she _really_ is fit, I’d go for it.’’

Harry tried not to feel jealous when Louis called Victoria fit, but all attempts were in vain. So he tried to focus on not letting it show.

‘’Maybe I will’’, Niall finally said. ‘’Later.’’ 

‘’H, how’s your love life going anyway?’’ Liam suddenly asked. ‘’I haven’t seen you with anyone in a _long_ time.’’

Harry froze in shock, his mouth opening and closing again as he tried to search for words. He ignored Louis and Niall, who were both looking at him.

‘’Not much luck in that department’’, Harry eventually chose to say.

‘’Mate, pretty much every girl in the world would want to be with you’’, Liam replied incredulously. ‘’True that’’, Zayn agreed.

Harry bit his lip and fidgeted with his hands. ‘’I-‘’

‘’He wasn’t looking for anything, right Haz?’’ Louis spoke up. ‘’I mean, you told me you wanted to focus on our music and not have any distractions.’’

Harry turned to Louis, who was looking at him with a look that said, _Go on_.

‘’Right’’, Harry said, grateful to have a way out of what could have been a _very_ awkward conversation. ‘’Yep. No distractions for me right now. Only our music.’’

‘’That’s pretty clever’’, Zayn said. ‘’A team player, that one.’’

‘’Speaking of our music’’, Liam began, ‘’when are we going to start working on lyrics for our new album?’’

‘’We could do that tonight’’, Harry suggested, glad the topic of the conversation had shifted away from his love life. He made a mental note to thank Louis for that later today.

‘’Good idea’’, Niall said approvingly. ‘’I’ll get my guitar, we’ll sit by the fire and just let inspiration seep into our veins.’’

‘’Beautifully said, Shakespeare’’, Louis teased him. Zayn chimed in, ‘’Yeah, you’ll have plenty of inspiration, alright.’’

Victoria was approaching their table, balancing a tray of drinks on her hand. Niall kicked Zayn’s shin underneath the table, the elder wincing.

Victoria, not having noticed anything, carefully placed each drink on the table. ‘’Your food will be ready in about five minutes’’, she announced.

The boys nodded. Before she could walk away, Louis said, ‘’Hey, um, Victoria, Niall here wants to ask you something.’’

Niall suppressed a groan as the other boys tried to hold back their laughter. Victoria was unaware of the situation, and blinked a few times in confusion. Her long eyelashes and puzzled look made her look cute and innocent, which certainly did not help Niall’s case.

‘’Um, yeah, so… What’s your favourite song of ours?’’ he asked. Liam spluttered on his drink, almost choking. 

‘’Oh, well… Over Again, I think. But Rock Me is my jam, and Save You Tonight and Stole My Heart are pretty darn iconic, too’’, Victoria answered.

‘’Good choices’’, Harry said, agreeing with most of her choices. He had always had a soft spot for Little Things too. Maybe because he had helped his good friend Ed Sheeran with writing lyrics, albeit not having wanted credit for it. Maybe because he merely described Louis for him, and Ed had managed to make a beautiful love song out of that description.

‘’Is there anything else I can help with you?’’ Victoria asked kindly. They shook their head. When she had disappeared out of sight, everyone shot Niall a disappointed look. Liam even smacked his arm.

‘’Ow, what was that for?’’ Niall asked.

‘’You know I don’t like violence, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And this was very desperate. What’s your favourite song of ours?’’ he mimicked Niall. ‘’You were supposed to ask her out!’’

‘’I don’t even know her!’’ Niall protested.

‘’That’s why you ask her out’’, Harry said dryly. ‘’To get to know her.’’

‘’The moment just wasn’t right’’, Niall retorted in an attempt to defend his actions.

‘’And now you just might have wasted the only moment you’re gonna get’’, Zayn told him.

Niall crossed his arms over his chest. ‘’I didn’t come here on this trip to have you pressure me and make fun of me.’’

‘’We’re sorry’’, Harry said, realising Niall was hurt. ‘’We just saw you seemed to fancy her, so we wanted to help you a bit, although we shouldn’t have.’’

Niall sighed. ‘’I appreciate you trying to help me, although you have very weird ways to do so. But, I need to do this myself. And we’ll be here for many more days, so I’ll have many more opportunities’’, he said, the last sentence directed toward Zayn.

Their food came shortly after that, just like Victoria had promised. Niall chatted with her for a bit, the other boys looking like proud parents. He did not ask her out just yet, opting to get to know her a little bit better first. Especially when you are famous, you never know for sure whether someone likes you for you or for your status. Victoria seemed like a genuine girl, however.

-

On their way back to the cottage, Harry and Louis trudged behind the rest of the boys.

‘’Haz?’’ Louis asked. Harry looked at him, trying not to drown in Louis’ deep blue eyes. ‘’Yeah?’’ he responded, gulping.

‘’How did you know you were gay?’’ Louis averted his eyes as he asked the question.

‘’I guess I always just kinda knew. When my mates started checking out girls, I was checking them out. As in, my mates, not the girls. I had girlfriends, which was nice, but it was never anything beyond friendship, you know? I liked hanging out with girls, still do, but just not in a romantic way.’’

‘’Have you ever been in love with a boy?’’

‘’Love is a big word. But, yeah, I think I have.’’

Louis did not ask him anything further on the subject, which Harry was grateful for. He did not want to give too much away. Louis did ask him anything else, though.

‘’And what if you’re not sure? Like, what if you never gave it much thought and you question whether you…’’

‘’Like guys?’’ Harry finished for him. ‘’I guess you could try to, um, see if you like certain things. With boys. Experiment a bit. Why are you asking?’’

He knew Louis was a curious person. He wanted to know as much about everything as possible. Unless it had something to do with school, then he wanted nothing to do with it.

He probably was just curious about this subject as well. There probably was nothing more behind it.

Harry felt like his conjectures were proven to be right when Louis answered, ‘’No reason in particular. Just curious. I mean, a lot of people deal with this kind of stuff.’’

Harry nodded. ‘’It’s great that you are interested in these kinds of things. Discovering and coming to terms with your sexuality is such a difficult thing for so many people. If only more people knew about the things others have to go through, it would make things so much easier for LGBT people.’’

‘’Yeah’’, Louis said, suddenly a lot more quiet. ‘’Definitely.’’

‘’If you ever want to talk about you being gay, or, um, a boy or something, you can come to me. You know that, right?’’ he said, voice still low.

Harry nodded. ‘’I know. I don’t have much to tell you right now’’, he lied. ‘’But I’ll keep it in mind. Thanks, Lou.’’

‘’No problem, H. I love you.’’

‘’Love you too, Lou.’’

Louis let out a small sigh, before focusing on the road in front of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I hope you like the story so far.  
> I have a question: Would anyone like side Ziam in this story? It was originally meant as a larry fic alone, but I obviously added some Ziam moments(as a friendship, for now). If anyone wants me to add Ziam as a romance to this story, please comment so.  
> Lots of love xxJ


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! It's been a while and I'm sorry for not updating. I've been really busy with school lately. Thank you for your patience. I really hope you like this chapter :)
> 
> Songs: Little Mix - Monster In Me // Kensington - Sorry // Thijs Pot - This Town (cover)

That night, after a particularly nice dinner prepared by Zayn and Harry, the boys gathered in the living room, which they had turned into a makeshift studio. Niall was lightly strumming on an acoustic guitar as Liam handed each of the boys a notebook along with a pen. The latter plopped down next to Louis on the couch.

‘’Let the writing session begin’’, Louis announced. Albeit having wanted to write songs of their own ever since the band was formed, the boys struggled with a lack of inspiration at first. As for Harry, the inspiration he had was not something he could share with the boys. He did not want to scare Louis away by giving a detailed description of the colour of his eyes or that lovely smile of his that always managed to make Harry’s day.

The lads all looked expectantly at one another, waiting until someone came up with an idea. ‘’Niall, surely you have something to write about it after this afternoon’’, Zayn said teasingly. Niall scoffed. He had not managed to get Victoria’s number. Well, he had not managed to ask her for her number, as he had merely been able to croak out a ‘’Bye’’ upon leaving the restaurant. It was pretty unusual for him, since he normally was so smooth chatting up girls. The boys thought it was cute how Niall had got so flustered.

‘’Why don’t we all focus on making some lyrics for the next half hour and after that we’ll check what everyone’s got?’’ Liam suggested. The boys nodded in agreement. It was not like waiting for each other to come up with something would be fruitful. 

Harry’s gaze was fixated on the paper in front of him. He had so many words he wanted to get out, pour his heart out on the paper. But the words did not come out. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the other boys were all busy scribbling things down. He himself was lagging behind. He needed some help. And he knew where he could get it.

Harry cleared his throat as he lifted himself from his chair. ‘’I’m gonna go, um, take a quick bathroom break’’, he told the others. Not waiting for someone to answer him, he walked out of the room and into the bedroom. He snatched up his phone from its place on his nightstand and made quick work of dialling the number.

‘’Who is this?’’ a gruff voice answered the phone. Harry instantly felt relief washing over him upon hearing the familiar voice. 

‘’Hey, Ed, ‘s me.’’ ‘’Harry?’’ Ed asked, enthusiasm in his voice. Harry nodded, although, of course, Ed wasn’t able to see him.

‘’What’s up, mate. How’ve you been?’’ 

Harry took a few moments to concoct an answer to Ed’s question. 

‘’I’m fine. On a trip with the lads in Austria, actually.’’

‘’Sounds nice’’, Ed said approvingly. ‘’Wish I could be there as well. Been swamped with work for the next album.’’ Harry remembered his friend telling him how he was barely getting any good nights of sleep with the new album around the corner.

‘’That sucks’’, Harry said sympathetically. ‘’Hope you get some free time very soon. You’ve earned it.’’

‘’Thanks, man’’, Ed replied. ‘’How are things going with your album?’’

‘’We’re still at the start of the process. Part of the reason we’re on this trip is so we can do some songwriting in a quiet environment’’, Harry explained.

‘’And how’s that going for you?’’ Ed asked, sounding genuinely interested. That was one of the things Harry loved most about their friendship. They listened to each other’s stories and were actually interested in what the other had to hear. For example, when Ed had been on the verge of a breakdown a few weeks prior, he had rung Harry and the latter had let him cry and had listened to all of his problems, all the while comforting him.

‘’Good. For the others. I think, at least. For me? Not so much. I have so many things I want to say, yet I can’t bring myself to write them down.’’

‘’Why is that?’’

‘’Well… You know how you asked me a little while ago if there was anything going on between Louis and I?’’

‘’Yeah. And with good reason. You were touching all the _goddamn_ time during our conversation. You were practically _glued to one another_.’’

Harry’s felt his cheeks heat up. Okay, so they had been rather touchy that day, but it was just part of their friendship.

‘’Yeah, about that. I might like him. Like, _like_ like. As in, I am into him. I want to cuddle with him, in a non-platonic way, and I want to kiss him after waking up and before going to bed and every moment in between. And I also maybe sorta want him to fuck me so badly, but-‘’

‘’Okay, okay, I get the point, H. You like him. Can’t say I’m surprised. Why is all of this a problem, though?’’

Harry was a bit taken aback by the fact that no one seemed to be surprised by both his coming out as gay and him liking Louis. Had he been _that_ obvious?  
Before he could ask Ed about it, though, the redhead had already continued talking.

‘’I mean, this is great. We should celebrate, right? Once you return to England, of course. And when I’m not this busy. Heck, I’ll make time. I’m so happy for you, mate.’’

While Harry definitely appreciated Ed’s enthusiasm and support, and he wanted nothing more to celebrate his crush on Louis with his friend, there was nothing to celebrate.

‘’Ed, we’re not together. He… Louis, he doesn’t know I like him’’, he said, somewhat pained.

This did not ruin Ed’s mood. ‘’Then go tell him!’’

Harry chuckled. He wish it were that easy. 

‘’I can’t do that.’’

‘’Why not?’’

‘’Because it’s not mutual. I know Louis and he just doesn’t look at me like that. For all I know, he’s straight.’’

‘’Yeah, and for all I knew until about three minutes ago, you were as well’’, Ed retorted.

‘’Me coming about seemed like something you’d been expecting all along, so I don’t think you thought I was heterosexual.’’

‘’Maybe not, but I think the same thing about Louis. But, wait, what does this have to do with the songwriting?’’ Ed asked, suddenly remembering why Harry had called him in the first place.

‘’I’m supposed to write about stuff. Stuff about love, according to Management. But all I want to do is write about Louis, which, in essence, is about love. But not the kind of love our label wants us to promote. And not the kind of love I want Louis to hear me sing.’’

‘’How would he know it’s about him, though?’’

‘’Apparently, I have not been all too subtle about my feelings for him so far. There is a good chance of him finding out.’’

The two were silent for a while, pondering. 

Then, Ed had an idea.

‘’H, this is genius. I was asked to co-write a few of your tracks. I can write the song for you. That way, Louis will never suspect anything.’’

Harry thought about it for a moment. He was ready to get all of the words off his chest, to eternalise them in a song, as music had always been like a diary for him.

‘’Okay.’’

‘’Okay?’’

‘’Yeah, let’s do it.’’

‘’Okay, well, tell me something about him. How you see him.’’

‘’Wait, right now?’’

‘’Of course right now.’’

‘’But I don’t want to take away your time. You’re busy and-‘’

‘’Shush, Harry. You’re my friend. You’d do the same for me.’’

Harry knew he would, but he still felt guilty about bothering Ed with his problems when the man already had so much to deal with at the moment.

‘’We have to be quick’’, Harry said. ‘’The boys think I’m weeing.’’

‘’That’s a long wee then’’, Ed replied, letting out a chuckle. ‘’They might think you went for a shit or a wank.’’

‘’Shut up, Ed’’, Harry told him.

‘’Yes, sir. Now go on and tell me about Lou.’’

‘’Well, um, where to start?’’ Harry said nervously. He wanted to say so much about his crush, who was more than just a crush, and now that he had the possibility, he had to do his best not to let the words come crashing out of his mouth like a waterfall.

‘’He’s… He loves tea.’’ Harry didn’t know why that was the first thing to come up. Sure, Louis liked tea, but that was not the most important part of him. 

‘’He always needs me to fix him a cuppa before going to bed. He says it helps him sleep. Who am I to doubt him?’’

Ed said nothing, letting Harry get out what he had been meaning to get out for too long a time.

‘’It’s ridiculous, really. But it’s Louis. It’s lovely. I like that he needs me, even if it’s just for something as small and insignificant like that. He talks in his sleep, that’s another thing about him. The walls are pretty thin and Lou is, as you know, super loud. He says the craziest things, never making sense one bit. But, it’s like he’s saying those things to me. Like they’re secrets between him and I, even if he doesn’t know he’s saying them. And, like I said, they never make any sense. Maybe it’s all the tea.’’

Harry stopped himself for a few seconds to bite his lip to keep his smile at bay. God, he loved this boy so much.

‘’And sometimes we fall asleep on the couch in our living room and I’m perfectly content waking up in the middle of the night to find myself in his arms. It’s like I fit there. We fit. Same goes for when we hold hands. He has these cute, small, dainty hands and mine are so big. And yet… it fits. Like it’s fate or something like that. I have always wondered what it would be like to have someone so all-encompassing, who comes into your world and then and up being your world.

‘’And he is so beautiful. Inside and out. He’s got these cute little freckles on his cheeks. They’re barely visible but if I get close enough, I can see them. And when he smiles, crinkles form by his eyes, and it makes him that much more beautiful.’’

‘’You really love him, don’t you?’’ Ed asked. It was a rhetorical question.

It was as if only now Harry realised he had been talking to someone. He had got so caught up in his description of Louis, that Ed and the phone call had been forgotten all about.

‘’I do.’’

‘’Tell him, Harry. You have to tell him. Not right now, but eventually.’’

‘’You sound like Niall.’’

‘’Well, Niall’s right then.’’

‘’I will. When I’m ready. Anyway, I probably have to get back to the boys.’’

‘’Okay’’, Ed told him.

‘’Thank you, though. For listening’’, Harry said sincerely.

‘’Thank you for telling me. When I have time, I’ll start writing on the song. You’ll be the first to hear it.’’

‘’Thank you so much, Ed. You’re truly a great friend.’’

‘’I know’’, Ed said playfully. ‘’Now get back to the others.’’

‘’I will. Love you, Ed.’’

‘’Love you, H.’’

With a soft _click_ the call ended. 

 

When Harry entered the living room, he was met by the sound of Niall’s voice carrying what seemed to be a love song. The Irish lad immediately stopped singing to acknowledge Harry’s return.

‘’H, you’re back.’’ He patted the chair on his right. Harry made his way over to him and sat down.

‘’I only heard a few seconds of it, but what you did sounded great. Could you sing it again?’’

Niall nodded. He played a few chords on his guitar before starting to sing. His voice sounded angelic, almost as warm as the words that left his mouth.

_If the whole words was watching, I’d still dance with you_

_Drive highways and byways to be there with you_

_Over and over the only truth ___

__‘’That’s everything I have so far’’, Niall said, a bit shy. He awaited a reaction from the rest of the boys, who burst into applause a few seconds later._ _

__‘’That’s fucking amazing’’, Louis said, walking over to Niall and clapping him on the back. Niall grabbed his guitar a bit more tight as to not let it fall while he smiled at Louis._ _

__‘’Thanks. It’s only a tiny bit so far, though. ‘S gonna take a lot more time to finish it.’’_ _

__‘’It sounds really promising’’, Liam said, proud of his mate._ _

__Liam and Zayn were next. As it turned out, their lyrics fit really well together and soon they were able to create an entire chorus and verse. Niall immediately named the song _Summer Love_. The song needed more verses and a bridge, but a lot had already been done. They decided to keep working on the lyrics to _Summer Love_ the next day._ _

__Now, they were waiting on Harry to share his lyrics with them. He looked at his empty notebook. How was he supposed to tell them he had got nothing done?_ _

__‘’Um’’, he began, not sure what he was going to say. He met Louis’ gaze, and all of a sudden something clicked._ _

__Harry closed the notebook and put it on the wooden table in front of him. As he began to sing, he let the words tumble out of his mouth._ _

___I want you here with me_ _ _

___Like how I pictured it_ _ _

___So I don't have to keep imagining_ _ _

___Come on, jump out at me_ _ _

___Come on, bring everything_ _ _

___Is it too much to ask for something great?_ _ _

__For the last sentence, he locked eyes with Louis again, who had already been watching him with some sort of emotion in his eyes Harry could not quite place. He proceeded to look at the ground._ _

__‘’So, um, yeah, that was it, basically…’’_ _

__‘’It’s beautiful’’, Liam said truthfully. Zayn nodded in agreement. Niall was watching Harry with a smirk on his face. It was obvious he knew what the lyrics were about._ _

__‘’Looks like we’ve got some real bangers’’, Louis said._ _

__‘’What about you, though?’’ Liam asked. ‘’What have you got so far?’’_ _

__Louis bit his lip. ‘’Not much, really.’’_ _

__‘’Let us hear it?’’ Niall asked. ‘’Pretty please?’’_ _

__Louis shook his head. ‘’I want to finish it first. ‘M not ready to show you guys yet.’’_ _

__The boys nodded._ _

__‘’So far so good’’, Niall said. ‘’If we continue like this, we’re sure to have a great album.’’_ _

__‘’Word’’, Liam said. ‘’Anyways, I’m going to watch a film. Anyone care to join me?’’_ _

__Niall yawned. ‘’I’m knackered. But you go ahead and have fun. I’m gonna turn in early.’’ After having wished everyone a good night, he left the room._ _

__‘’Lou? H? You wanna watch with me?’’_ _

__‘’I’m actually pretty tired as well’’, Harry said. ‘’Sorry, Li. Another time, though?’’ Liam nodded in understanding._ _

__‘’Me as well’’, Louis chimed in. ‘’Today was fun but _really_ exhausting. Raincheck?’’_ _

__‘’Sure.’’_ _

__The two boys left the room, leaving only Liam and Zayn._ _

__‘’I can watch with you, Liam’’, Zayn said softly._ _

__Liam smiled at him. ‘’That’s sweet of you. But if you’re tired, I don’t wanna keep you up.’’_ _

__‘’It’s fine, really. I’d love to watch something with you’’, Zayn assured him._ _

__‘’Okay then, what do you want to see?’’ Liam asked him, opening the cupboard that contained all the DVD’s. ‘’We have some action films, romcoms, fantasy, animation…’’_ _

__‘’You’re not going to judge me, right?’’ Zayn asked, to which Liam solemnly shook his head. ‘’Of course not.’’_ _

__‘’Well, I see _Lady and the Tramp_ and I haven’t watched any Disney lately. I used to watch this one all the time with my sisters but haven’t got around to doing that ever since the band was formed.’’_ _

__Liam smiled. ‘’ _Lady and the Tramp_ it is.’’ He put the DVD in the player and settled on the couch next to Zayn._ _

__‘’Thanks for watching this with me’’, Zayn said gratefully._ _

__‘’Thanks for staying with me’’, Liam replied, equally happy._ _

__As the film started to play, Zayn scooted a little closer to his friend. Liam got the hint and carefully put his arm around him. ‘’Is this okay?’’ he asked. Zayn nodded and rested his head on Liam’s shoulder._ _

__When the infamous spaghetti scene rolled around, Zayn lifted his head to look at Liam. The latter, having noticed the attention, looked at Zayn, a bit taken aback by their proximity._ _

__Zayn let his eyes flicker toward Liam’s lips and Liam swallowed loudly. Just as Zayn was about to reduce their proximity even further, Liam said, ‘’I really like _Summer Love_ so far.’’_ _

__A look of hurt and rejection crossed Zayn’s face as he pulled away, but he was quick to change it to a more neutral expression._ _

__‘’It’s gonna be great’’, Liam continued._ _

__‘’Yes, it will be’’, Zayn said, voice clipped. ‘’I’m actually pretty tired. Gonna head to bed too.’’_ _

__He lifted Liam’s arm from where it was still laying on his shoulder, before rising from the couch. ‘’Goodnight’’, he whispered._ _

__‘’Zayn-‘’ Liam tried, but the boy had already left to go to bed. If only Liam knew that he was not going to sleep at all. He would lie in bed, staring at the ceiling and replaying every single second of tonight in his head, questioning certain things he thought he had been so sure about all his life. And if only Zayn knew Liam was in his room, doing the exact same thing._ _

__For Harry and Louis, the night was more peaceful. As soon as they had crept underneath the covers, Louis softly asked, ‘’Hold me, please?’’_ _

__They cuddled pretty often, but most of the times, it was Louis being the big spoon and Harry the little one._ _

__Harry wrapped his arms around Louis, willing his heartbeat to slow down at least a tiny bit, afraid Louis could hear. He pulled the older boy closer to him, nuzzling his neck._ _

__It felt complete. They felt complete. Like Harry had told Ed, they just _fit_. There was no other way to describe it._ _

__As they began to fall asleep, Harry could not even blame his heart for beating so loudly._ _

__After all, it was right where it was supposed to be._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked the new chapter. I know the past few have had a lot of love confessions, but the next will have more actual Larry content. 
> 
> Anyways, I wish you all a lovely day :)
> 
> Lots of love, J xx


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello :)  
> I hope everyone's having a lovely weekend. Here's a new chapter with some much-needed Larry fluff <3

They decided to keep working on _Summer Love_ the next day, but something was off. For instance, Harry took note of, Liam and Zayn did not look each other in the eye, which was odd. At one point, Zayn even snarled at him when Liam asked him if he wanted something to drink. Zayn never snarled at Liam. They usually were all over one another. 

Niall, oblivious to all of this, was cheerful as ever and creating lyrics at the speed of the light. Einstein would approve.

Harry wanted to ask either Liam or Zayn what was wrong, but Niall kept asking his opinion on the newest lyrics. After a while, Louis disappeared, dragging Zayn with him. Harry figured the former would inquire Zayn about the situation.

And so he did.

Zayn’s room had large doors that, if opened, revealed a balcony from which you could overlook the snow-covered mountains. Louis stepped onto the balcony, awestruck because of the nature around him. He had never fancied himself a lover of things nature, but he had to admit that this was nothing short of magnificent. Zayn’s voice made him look away.

‘’Before you tell me why you wanted to talk to me, want a smoke?’’ Zayn held up a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

Louis shook his head. ‘’Nah, ‘m trying to quit.’’ Zayn blinked. ‘’Harry doesn’t mind, y’know? He said so himself.’’

Louis shrugged. ‘’We live together and I can’t imagine him not being bothered by the fact our home smells like an ashtray from time to time.’’ 

Now it was Zayn’s time to just shrug. ‘’Suit yourself.’’ He proceeded to light a cig for himself and put it in his mouth, taking a long, slow drag before releasing the smoke.

‘’So, what did you want to talk about?’’ Zayn asked.

‘’Wasn’t it obvious?’’

Zayn gave him a look that said it wasn’t. He had a feeling the boy knew where this was heading, though.

‘’Mate, you and Liam are acting all cold around each other. What happened? You’re usually just as cuddly as Harry and I are. Well, no, not _that_ cuddly, no one is, but you get the point.’’

‘’We’re not cold’’, Zayn snapped.

‘’You’re being cold to me right now’’, Louis retorted.

‘’Well, then it’s not just Liam.’’

‘’So you just admitted to giving Liam the cold shoulder?’’

‘’Ugh, Lou, you are insufferable sometimes. No, scratch that. You are insufferable, period.’’

‘’So much flattery at such an early time in the morning’’, Louis said, blinking his eyelashes rapidly and giving Zayn a faux-sweet smile.

‘’It’s two in the afternoon’’, Zayn deadpanned.

‘’That’s still morning for me. Anyways, why are you and Liam acting weird?’’

‘’Do we really need to talk about this?’’ Zayn asked whiningly.

Louis sighed loudly. ‘’I can’t force you to do anything, but there’s definitely something going on. I’m here if you want to discuss it. The other boys don’t need to know.’’

‘’It’s just weird. I’m weird.’’

‘’Aren’t we all?’’ Louis replied. Zayn shrugged and took another drag. ‘’Guess so.’’

‘’D’you have a fight? With Liam?’’ Louis asked.

Zayn shook his head. ‘’No. I could never. He’s way too sweet to ever be upset with. I’m… upset. But not with him. With myself, I guess, in a way.’’

Louis tilted his head to the side in confusion. ‘’What does that have to do with Liam, then?’’

‘’The other night, I may or may not have almost… um… kissed him’’, Zayn confessed, voice low in case anyone were to suddenly appear next to them on the balcony.

Louis’ eyes widened in surprise as he tried to process the new information. ‘’You _kissed_?’’ he practically exclaimed. Zayn shushed him.

‘’Fuck, Lou, could you be any louder?’’

‘’Calm your tits, Chandler Bing. They’re all inside. But, damn, you and Liam kissed?’’

‘’No. I was going to, though. Would’ve happened if he...’’

‘’If he what?’’ Louis insisted.

‘’If he hadn’t pulled away and started talking about our new song.’’

‘’Oh.’’

‘’Yeah.’’

‘’Maybe he was just caught off guard?’’ Louis tried. ‘’He might have not been expecting it. That doesn’t mean he’s not interested. And – wait – are you? Interested, that is.’’

Zayn shook his head. He then took a deep breath and nodded. ‘’I don’t know’’, he finally said. ‘’’S just that I’ve been having these thoughts about him lately. Like, he’ll enter the room and I’ll just go, _oh wow, he is beautiful_. That never happened before and I definitely don’t have those thoughts about you or Niall or Harry.’’

‘’Well fuck you too then’’, Louis replied. Zayn shot him a look. Louis stuck his tongue out in reply.

‘’Do you get, you know, butterflies when you see him?’’ Louis asked.

‘’Butterflies? Seriously, Louis? I’m an adult, not some teenager’’, Zayn scoffed.

‘’So I’m taking that as a yes?’’

Zayn looked at the ground, kicking an invisible pebble with his foot. ‘’Yeah’’, he whispered reluctantly.

‘’That’s good, though, right?’’ Louis said.

‘’No, it’s not. Liam’s not interested. He made that pretty clear last night.’’

‘’Oh, so one ruined moment and you’re giving up? As I told you earlier, he might have just been caught off guard. He can still like you. You’ve been friends for so long and, honestly, I can see you being a couple. You’re practically dating already, what with him always sitting in your lap or the other way around.’’

‘’If that’s dating, you pretty much are in a relationship with H’’, Zayn said.

‘’Pfft, sure, change the subject, will you’’, Louis played the comment off. ‘’Sure, Haz is pretty. Beautiful, even. And he is a _great_ chef. And his laugh is so goofy, yet kinda adorable in its own Harry-way. And-‘’

‘’You’re kinda trailing off there, mate’’, Zayn told him.

‘’Right’’, Louis said, trying his hardest not to blush. ‘’Thanks. Um, well, where was I?’’

‘’Harry’s goofy yet adorable laugh?’’ Zayn answered, his hand clasped firmly over his mouth to hide his smile.

‘’Ugh, you’re no help. I meant before. Oh, right. You and Liam. Can I ask you something?’’

‘’Fire away.’’

‘’Are you gay? Or bi? Or…’’

‘’I don’t know. I’ve never been interested in boys. Then again, I don’t think I’ve ever been interested in anyone, boys or girls.’’

‘’Wait, Liam’s your first crush?’’

‘’Yeah, he is.’’

‘’Are you a virgin?’’ Louis asked. Not that it is a bad thing or anything, I’m just curious’’, he was quick to add.

Zayn nodded. ‘’I’ve never really understood the whole hook up-thing. Never saw the point in sharing something so intimate with someone I don’t have a connection with.’’

‘’That’s. I didn’t know. That’s cool, though. I respect that.’’ 

Zayn smiled at him. ‘’Thanks, mate. Reckon it won’t work out with Li, though. I’m fairly sure he’s straight.’’

‘’You don’t know that. People can surprise you.’’ Louis thought back at Harry’s confession, which ultimately led to him thinking about the kiss they shared. About how soft Harry’s lips had felt against his own. How it had not felt uncomfortable at all. He would not have minded if it had lasted a little bit longer. He could not mention that to Zayn, though, since Harry was not out yet.

‘’They can. I just don’t know about Liam’’, Zayn replied.

Louis patted him on his shoulder. ‘’No matter the outcome, I’m by your side. Partners in crime, remember?’’ That earned him a smile from Zayn. ‘’Don’t think you’ll ever get rid of me’’, Louis continued teasingly. 

‘’Don’t think I’ll ever want to’’, Zayn said.

‘’Aw, aren’t you just a big ball of mush?’’ Louis cooed as he put his arms around his friend.

‘’I take it back’’, Zayn muttered.

‘’No refunds’’, Louis retorted. ‘’Not that your affection was worth that much anyways.’’

‘’Ha ha. Well, I’m gonna go back inside’’, Zayn said as he stumped out the cigarette with his shoe.

‘’Love you, Zayniekins’’, Louis said sweetly.

Zayn rolled his eyes, but there was nothing but love for his friend there. ‘’Love you too, bro.’’

-

When they walked back inside, the first person Louis noticed was Harry. Beautiful, he had called him. That was wrong. He looked fucking _glorious_. Just a friendly observation, of course. The chocolate-coloured curls framing his face looked fluffier and shinier than normal. His green eyes glimmered as his gaze met Louis’ and his lips were bright pink, probably because Harry had a habit of biting them. Louis definitely understood why girls and boys galore wanted to get his attention. 

Harry smiled brightly at him and patted his lap in a gesture for Louis to come sit. It was like Harry had become a bit more confident over the course of a few days. He was usually the one to sit one Louis’ lap, and even then, he was hesitant.

Louis walked over and positioned himself on top of Harry. He dropped a quick kiss to the younger boy’s temple, ignoring the pointed look Zayn was giving him. He wasn’t dating Harry. Obviously. They were just very comfortable with one another. Comfortable enough to cuddle and even share a kiss. 

‘’How’s the song coming along?’’ he asked Harry, assuming the boys had kept working on it without him and Zayn.

‘’Almost done.’’

‘’Gonna sing it for me later?’’

‘’Mm’’, Harry said, tapping his chin. ‘’What if I wanted you to sing it?’’

Louis blushed, and for God’s sake, why was he _blushing_?

Louis gulped. ‘’Sure.’’

Harry was taken aback at Louis’ response, having expected something more closer to Louis’ sassy, teasing self.

Louis looked away from Harry’s green eyes and those incredibly pink lips – _and seriously, how did those get so pink?_ – and over to where Zayn was sat next to Liam. The air around them was still a bit awkward, but they shared small smiles, so there had been some progress.

‘’I’m hungry’’, Niall announced all of a sudden. It was the first time Louis had noticed him since his return and it was not surprising he had not seen them earlier, seeing as the blond boy was sprawled on the rug covering the floor. 

‘’Harry?’’ Niall asked, pleading with his eyes.

‘’Fine, I’ll get us some food’’, Harry answered, chuckling. ‘’You have an abnormally large appetite, you know?’’

‘’I don’t. Everyone else just got a smaller one’’, Niall said simply.

‘’That could be true as well’’, Harry replied as he tried to lift himself from the couch. Louis was still in his lap, however.

‘’Don’t move. I’m comfortable’’, Louis said, pouting. He was firmly holding onto Harry’s shirt.

‘’Okay then, my little monkey. Hold on tight’’, Harry replied.

‘’I’m not li-‘’ Louis cut himself off as he was surprised by Harry standing up from the couch, Louis still clinging to him. He knew Harry was strong, but he had not known the young boy had _that much_ strength in him.  
Louis secured his thighs around Harry’s waist and allowed himself to be carried to the kitchen, still ignoring the looks Zayn was giving him.

Much to Louis dismay, Harry put him back on the ground when they reached their destination. 

‘’So, what would you like?’’ Harry asked.

Louis’ found himself staring at Harry’s lips again, not catching the question. ‘’Huh?’’ he asked.

‘’What would you like?’’ Harry repeated.

‘’Um, what do you mean what I like?’’ Louis asked, a bit nervous. He usually was cool in almost every situation, but what was Harry asking him? His mind went into a wrong direction, although maybe that could be what the question had been about it. Harry was quick to give him a clarification.

‘’To eat.’’

‘’Oh, um, whatever you’ll have’’, Louis answered, mentally face-palming himself for the misunderstanding.

‘’Grapes?’’ 

‘’Ugh, no, too healthy. I’ll have whatever you’re getting Niall.’’

‘’M&Ms it is, then’’, Harry said as he pulled out an supersize bag of the sweets from one of the cupboards, handing it to Louis.

‘’Don’t eat too much, though. Clara invited us over for dinner in two hours. I ran into her during my morning walk and she said she wanted to treat us as a thank-you for the decorating.’’

‘’That’s kind of her’’, Louis said. He barely knew the older woman but already had soft spot for her. She reminded him a bit of his mum. They had the same warm look in their eyes that matched their personality.

Harry nodded. ‘’She is lovely. Let’s bring Niall his food, though, before he comes to get it himself.’’

‘’Nah. He’s way too lazy for that’’, Louis joked, and he felt his heartbeat rising when Harry gave him another one of his brilliant smiles.

‘’Um, I’ll share the grapes with you. If you don’t mind, of course. Don’t want to lose my appetite’’, Louis said as he sat back down on the couch, this time next to Harry instead of on top of him.

‘’Weakling’’, Niall said upon hearing this, proudly opening the bag of M&Ms Louis handed him.

Normally Louis would respond with an equally sassy response, but he was a bit preoccupied as Harry held up a grape in front of him.

‘’Open up’’, Harry said softly.

Louis obeyed and bit down on the sweet skin of the fruit after Harry fed him it.

‘’Your turn’’, Louis said. He grabbed a few grapes. He distanced himself a bit from Harry and made a throwing motion with his arm so the other boy knew what he was about to do.

Harry leaned back a bit and opened his mouth wide. Louis threw the grape at him and Harry caught it in his mouth successfully, letting out a cry of victory.

‘’Wow, Harry, you’re good with your mouth’’, Niall said jokingly, sending the boy a wink.

‘’Oh, you don’t know the half of it’’, Harry replied to the Irish lad. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Louis.

‘’Harry, you dirty bastard!’’ the latter explained as he threw the remainder of the grapes in his hand at him. They all hit Harry in the face, before falling on the couch, which sent Harry into a high fit of laughter.

Louis could not help but admire the boy as his face turned red as he kept giggling.  
He also could not help but notice how easy it all was with him. One moment, they would be cuddling and everything was so soft. And the next one they would be laughing their arses off and having a bloody grape fight. He ignored the tug in his stomach as he watched his best mate.

Friends could admire other friends, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked the chapter.   
> I wish you all a lovely day♥
> 
> xx J


	11. Chapter 11, part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally we get to some Larry fluff :)  
> This chapter is the first of two that are (somewhat) based on Ed's Perfect. Hope you like it :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank you all for getting this story to 1K, it means a lot to me <3  
> I really hope you like this chapter, because I loved writing it. Anyways, let's get on with this show.
> 
> Queen - Somebody to Love

The two hours went by quickly and soon the five lads found themselves at Clara’s restaurant.

‘’You sure we didn’t need to bring any money?’’ Liam asked.

‘’No, she said it was her treat. But I have some anyway’’, Harry replied. He held the restaurant’s front door open to let the other walk through. 

Louis, last in line, took hold of the door. ‘’After you’’, he told Harry.

‘’No, no, it’s fine. You go first’’, Harry said, still clutching the door handle with both hands.

‘’Ladies first’’, Louis teased him.

Harry pouted, which Louis found adorable. ‘’’M no lady’’, the younger said. 

Louis smirked. ‘’You sure? I might need a check.’’

Harry blushed and looked down at the ground. Louis chuckled. He loved teasing his best friend like this, loved how Harry got all flustered.

‘’Aye, stop flirting and get inside!’’ Niall shouted. ‘’I am hungry!’’

‘’Did he not just have a supersized bag of M&Ms?’’ Louis asked, smiling at Harry, who was still avoiding his gaze. ‘’The boy could eat enough for all of us.’’

At that, Harry giggled, finally meeting Louis’ eyes. He looked so _soft_ , Louis noticed. He always did, but there was something about how, due to the cold, his eyes were all glassy and his cheeks ruddy. 

‘’After you’’, Louis insisted, and Harry slept inside, the older boy following suit.

The other boys were already seated around a large, round table, making chit-chatting with Clara. Louis and Harry joined them.

‘’Oh, boys, so glad you are here!’’ Clara said cheerfully as she enveloped them both in a warm embrace.

‘’Glad to be here’’, Louis said, offering her a friendly smile as he sat down next to Liam. 

‘’Oh, darling, sit down, sit down’’, Clara told Harry. ‘’I’ll go get your menus.’’ Harry sat down in between Louis and Zayn, the former patting him on his thigh much to his shock.

‘’I’m sorry, H, but Clara has officially replaced you as my favourite person.’’

‘’Oi, what about me?’’ Zayn whined.

‘’Meh, you share sixth place with Ni and Li’’, Louis replied.

‘’Who are third, fourth and fifth then?’’ Liam asked.

‘’Third’s me mum, fourth are my sisters, and fifth is David Beckham.’’ He made a face that said _duh_.

‘’How come’s Harry so high then?’’ Liam continued.

Harry could feel Niall’s gaze on him and he looked up at his friend only to see him wiggling his eyebrows at him. _What a dork_.

‘’Liam, do you do my laundry for me?’’ Louis asked.

‘’No.’’

‘’Do you cook me my favourite meals?’’

‘’No.’’

‘’Do you cuddle me?’’

‘’Um, yeah, sometimes.’’

‘’Okay, never mind that then’’, Louis said. ‘’Point is, you have never done my laundry nor have you ever made me food. Therefore, you are number six and Hazza’s second.’’

‘’I do not know if I should be offended or not by the fact that I’m second because I’m practically your maid’’, Harry said.

‘’Probably’’, Louis said, ‘’but I love you.’’ He threw in a cheeky wink and Harry forced himself not to look away.

‘’I’m back’’, a woman’s voice then singsonged. Clara reappeared at their table. She handed each boy a menu, Niall declining his.

‘’I have made my decision’’, he announced. ‘’I have waited for this all day’’, he whispered to Zayn.

‘’You didn’t know we would be eating here until about an hour ago’’, Zayn answered. Niall shushed him and turned to Clara.

‘’Ich möchte ein Schnitzel mit Pommes frites’’, he said in a weird accent that sounded more Russian than German. ‘’Ooh, and a pint. Haven’t learned that word in German, though.’’

‘’Very good’’, Clara complimented him, even though his words had sounded horrible.

‘’I’ll have a pint as well’’, Zayn told her, ‘’but I’m not sure about the food yet.’’ He opened his menu.

The other three ordered beer as well before browsing through the menu.

‘’I’m kind of craving a burger right now, to be honest’’, Louis admitted.

‘’How very Austrian of you’’, Zayn said sarcastically. Louis stuck his tongue out at him. He had initially planned to taste as much of Austria’s delicacies as possible, but sometimes a guy just needed his burger. And fries. Never forget the fries.

‘’A burger sounds good’’, Harry agreed. ‘’But so does the schnitzel.’’ He bit his lip as he contemplated which meal to get.

‘’Well, how about we share then?’’ Louis suggested.

Harry nodded. ‘’Sure, sounds good.’’ This time, he knew better than to look at Niall.

Clara soon returned with their drinks and to take their order. After having scribbled everything down, she started talking again.

‘’Are you staying for karaoke tonight?’’ she asked.

‘’Karaoke?’’ Louis asked.

‘’Yes. Every Tuesday’s Karaoke Night here. It’s a tradition’’, she explained. 

‘’Well, when does it start?’’ Niall asked curiously. He lifted the glass to his mouth and took a swig of beer. He made an approving sound after having swallowed it down. ‘’That’s the stuff.’’

‘’Glad you like it’’, Clara said. ‘’And it starts at nine.’’

‘’Cool’’, Niall said. ‘’Yeah, we’re in’’, Harry chimed in. He felt someone kick him under the table as Clara gave them one more smile, told them their food would be ready soon, and left them.

‘’This is not a good idea’’, Liam hissed. _So, he was the one who kicked me_ , Harry thought.

‘’Why not?’’ Louis asked.

‘’What if we get recognized and someone tips off our location to some gossip newspaper like _The Sun_?’’

Louis wrinkled his nose. ‘’That trash is hardly a newspaper. Besides, no one’s tipped us off yet. And why would anyone recognise us during karaoke?’’

‘’Because we’ll be _singing, Louis_.’’

‘’Don’t flatter yourself, _Liam_ , no one will hear you and think you’re some popstar.’’

‘’I would’’, Zayn said softly.

‘’What?’’ Louis asked.

‘’I would, maybe, think he’s a popstar or summat. I mean, he sings really well and he looks, um… But, yeah, probably no one will recognise us’’, Zayn said, effectively changing subjects before he was about to rant about Liam’s looks. He had not had enough drinks for that to be a possibility yet.

‘’It’s settled then’’, Louis said. ‘’We’re doing karaoke and Liam’s a pussy.’’

Liam looked offended. ‘’Ew, pussy’’, Harry muttered under his breath.

‘’What did you say, H?’’ Zayn asked him, not having heard the exact words.

‘’Nothing’’, Harry quickly answered.

Louis, however, had heard what the boy had said.

‘’Did you really just say ‘’ew, pussy’’?’’ Louis whisper-asked him.

‘’Maybe’’, Harry said, cheeks turning red in embarrassment that someone had caught him.

Louis burst out in gleeful laughter and nudged Harry’s shoulder with his own as he tipped his head back. A sight that made Harry have a stern internal conversation with his lower regions to stay put.

He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and almost jumped up from the chair in surprise. A text appeared on his display. It was from Niall.

_looking at your crotch for more than five seconds ain’t normal, no matter how hot the Tommo looks ;)_

Harry could feel someone looking at the screen over his shoulder. He turned to find Louis trying to read the text. Harry nearly dropped the phone on the ground, but managed to catch it and put it back in the pocket of his trousers. He shot Niall a quick glare.

‘’Did- did you read that?’’ he asked Louis, scared of the answer.

‘’No. Did see it was from Nialler though. Why are you two texting while you’re sat at the same table?’’

‘’We’re not texting’’, Harry simply said, knowing that it was a shitty answer. The truth, however, would be even shittier to explain.

Before Louis could ask any further, Clara was setting their food in front of them. Niall made an entire show of inhaling his meal’s scent. He brought the fingers of his right hand together and kissed them like Italian chefs always do in films.

‘’I am going to eat my weight in food and then some more’’, he announced, digging in with vigor.

‘’What do you want to try first?’’ Louis asked Harry.

‘’Um, I don’t mind. I can just cut the schnitzel in half and add it to your plate. We don’t have to, um, eat together or anything’’, Harry said.

‘’And ruin all the fun? Nope, we’re doing this properly’’, Louis replied. He speared a fry onto his fork. ‘’Open up’’, he told Harry, who obliged albeit being confused. Sharing usually meant just swapping half of the food, right? It wasn’t about actually feeding each other, _right_? 

Despite his confusion over Louis’ behavior, he cut a bite off schnitzel off for Louis.

‘’Do you want to-‘’ Harry trailed off, pointing at Louis’ fork.

‘’I am no peasant. Feed me’’, Louis demanded.

‘’Okay then, Your Mayesty’’, Harry joked as he lifted the food to Louis’ mouth, careful not to poke his eye out.

Louis let out a loud moan. ‘’That is so good. I will never appreciate McDo’s like I used to after having tasted this.’’

Harry felt himself getting hot at the sounds Louis was making. He wanted to slap the boy to silence. Gently, of course. Preferably with his lips.

‘’I can try to recreate this when we’re back home’’, he suggested. ‘’There’s probably an abundance of recipes online.’’

Louis latched himself onto Harry’s arm. ‘’My hero’’, he said dramatically. Harry let out a loud honking laugh. Louis was a real drama queen. Should have been an actor, although that would have been a waste of such a great voice. Musical star, maybe? 

Harry loved Louis’ antics.

It continued like that for thirty more minutes – the two boys feeding one another tiny bites of food, Louis audibly enjoying said food, and Harry desperately, and, quite frankly, _unsuccessfully_ , trying not to get hard.

As soon as they finished their food and Clara cleared the table, Harry excused himself and went to the toilets. The walk there was awkward, as Harry was trying not to flash his… _situation_ … to anyone. He mentally scolded himself for popping a boner like that, but Louis had been so irresistible, moaning all prettily and – shit, thinking about it was definitely not helping.

He turned on the faucet and splashed cold water in his face. It was not ideal, but it wasn’t like he could just have a quick wank here. He willed his boner to go away so he could go back to his friends. I took about fifteen minutes - an oddly long time for someone to be in the loo – to calm himself down. His friends, luckily, made no mention of it. They were already preoccupied with choosing karaoke songs.

‘’I’m gonna sing Mariah. Liam, you in?’’ Niall inquired. 

‘’Nah. I’m gonna do some rap’’, Liam answered. ‘’ _The Real Slim Shady_. Anyone care to join?’’

Zayn nodded. ‘’Always in for some Eminem.’’

Louis turned to Harry. ‘’So, only us left, unless you want to do Mariah.’’

Harry shook his head. ‘’Nah. What’ve you got?’’ He looked at the booklet of available songs.

Louis’ tapped his chin as he thought. ‘’Hmm, I’m thinking we should do a classic.’’

‘’Queen?’’

‘’Queen.’’

A makeshift stage had been set up in the back of the restaurant. Many people were gathered around it, seated on chairs they had dragged along with him. Clara was seeing to it that everyone had a drink in their hand. On stage, two elderly men were singing along to a song none of the boys recognised. It was in German and sounded cheerful.

‘’We’ve got some competition’’, Louis whispered to Harry as they watched the two men. Their voices were unpleasant at best, but the performance was nice either way, simply because they seemed to be having a lot of fun. The audience was waving their arms in the air as the men sung.

‘’’S gonna be tough to beat’’, Harry agreed. They met each other’s eyes and smiled.

The song was over soon and Clara came on stage. ‘’Up next, the lovely Niall.’’ The audience applauded Niall as he took the stage and waved at the crowd, a big grin on his face.

The opening notes of _All I Want for Christmas_ played, and Niall put on his most dramatic face. He had been able to do a perfect Mariah impersonation ever since… well, ever since forever.

The audience was visibly enjoying his performance. 

Up next were Liam and Zayn. Harry was impressed with their rendition of Eminem’s song. He had no idea the boys could rap so well. The only thing they needed to work on were the awkward hand motions they made throughout the entire performance. Liam was the one who started doing those and Zayn had followed suit. It was not a good look on them. Their vocals, however, were flawless.

Finally, Louis and Harry were up. Despite having been on stage for so many times already, Harry felt butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. This was smaller, more intimate. And he was about to perform in front of all these people. He did not have any time to overthink his decision to participate in Karaoke Night, because the song was already starting and Louis was singing the first words.

_Can anybody find me somebody to love?_

His voice sounded so soft and sweet and special that Harry almost forgot to sing the next line. He would have been more than fine just watching Louis, but he had a job to do.

_Ooh, each morning I get up I die a little_

He turned to face his singing partner, who was already looking at him.

 _Can barely stand on my feet_ , Harry continued.

 _Take a look at yourself_ , Louis sung in a funny voice that sounded nothing like him, but it made Harry smile.

 _Take a look in the mirror and cry_ , Harry chimed in.

 _And cry_.

They were approaching the first chorus and Harry felt Louis lace their fingers together. Harry blushed. Luckily for him, everyone probably thought his cheeks were red due to the warmth and the nerves.

As the chorus hit, Louis lifted their joined hands and twirled Harry around. The latter could feel himself getting a bit dizzy, not knowing whether it was from the twirling or from the fact that he was here, singing together with the person who was probably the love of his life albeit him not knowing that.

The song seemed to drag on for hours, _for entire days_ , even, but it was over way too soon for Harry. He was loving this way too much. Just singing, dancing, having fun with Louis. He could do this all day every day. Louis’ cheeks were pink from the exercise and his hair was all messed up. Harry thought he looked lovely.

_Somebody find me, find me love_

The song was finished. As the audience burst into loud applause and whistles, Harry suddenly became aware of his proximity to Louis. The older boy was giving him a soft smile and his blue eyes were sparkling. It would be so easy to just close the gap, the last few inches… Harry could feel himself leaning in, completely in a trance.

Then, the moment was over as Louis pulled him in for a hug and dragged him down the stage to join their friends.

Harry could vaguely hear Clara gushing about their performances, about how they should do something with their musical talent and become singers. He could hear the other boys laughing at the words coming out of her mouth, for she was still oblivious to the fact that she was currently speaking with one of the world’s most popular acts of the moment.

Harry paid no attention to that, though, as he was playing last minute’s events over and over again in his head. _Had Louis seen him lean in? Did the others see? Do they know? More importantly, does Louis know?_

Harry caught his gaze again, and Louis smiled at him, cheeks flushed and eyes still sparkling. _He probably doesn’t._

When Harry finally managed to focus on what was going on around him again, Niall and Louis were back on stage, belting out a song by The Fray. Harry watched the two prance around and have fun, a fond look on his face. 

After the song was done, Louis looked at Harry and pointed towards the door.

‘’Come with me’’, he whispered in Harry’s ear as he walked past their group. Harry rose from the chair, heart beating loudly as he thought about what could happen now.

_He knows._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it!  
> Wishing you all a lovely weekend :)
> 
> xx J ♥


	12. Chapter 11, part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely people :D
> 
> I took a very long time to update, I'm very sorry for that. It wasn't a really great time for this fandom, nor was it for me personally. I apologise for the long wait.   
> I hope you really like this chapter, because I sure did.  
> Side note: a fake zerrie relationship is not mentioned (meaning Perrie as a beard), because I love Pez too much.
> 
> Ed Sheeran - Perfect // Little Mix - More Than Words

As Harry was being dragged outside, into the crisp winter air, and trudged through a layer of snow, he was sure Louis would soon confront him about all he had been trying to keep from him. 

‘’’S just a little bit further’’, Louis told him. Harry did not hear any anger in his voice, which calmed his nerves just a tiny bit. 

‘’Where are we going, exactly?’’ Harry asked. There was a village nearby and it looked like they were heading there. Well, it was not exactly a village. It was a square that consisted of a bakery, a small grocery store, and an Italian restaurant. 

‘’You’ll see’’, Louis replied. They followed the string of fairy lights strung between the lanterns in celebration of Christmas, which was fast approaching. The road bathed in soft yellow light, white flurries of snow slowly drifting in the wind. It looked like magic and Harry could feel the Christmas spirit bubbling up inside of him.

Harry had been right: Louis had taken him to the square. He was pulled toward the little restaurant, an Italian flag waving from its pole attached to the building.

‘’Louis, we’ve just eaten a full course meal!’’ Harry said in surprise as Louis opened the restaurant’s front door.

‘’Oh pish posh, you’ll manage.’’ 

Harry lifted his eyebrows at his mate and chuckled. ‘’If you say so. But do remember we’re sharing a bed. If I puke all over you, that’s entirely your fault.’’

Louis’ wrinkled his nose in disgust. ‘’A bit too graphic for my liking, but I’ll gladly take that risk. Now, come on, you’re letting all the cold in.’’

Louis was still holding the door open for him and Harry quickly stepped inside the restaurant. 

‘’Buonasera, good evening! What can I do for you?’’ a tall man with dark, wavy locks greeted them. A big smile was plastered on his face as he smoothed his brown apron.

‘’Do you happen to do take-away as well?’’ Louis asked, eyes hopeful.

‘’Why of course, sir. Would you like to see our menu?’’ the waiter asked, a thick Italian accent lacing his voice.

‘’That would be great, thanks’’, Louis answered. The man handed him the small booklet before walking off to greet the new customers. For such a tiny town with so little inhabitants, business certainly was good.

Louis opened the menu and pulled Harry closer to him, so the younger boy could watch as well.

‘’I was initially thinking of getting pizza’’, Louis said. ‘’Unless you want something else, of course. Their lasagna sounds great.’’

‘’Pizza’s fine’’, Harry assured him, although he wasn’t sure how his stomach would respond to such greasy food after having already eaten so much.

‘’Okay. Well, I definitely want pepperoni and cheese. What about you?’’ Louis asked.

‘’Um, ham and pineapple’s fine for me.’’

‘’Harry, you disgrace!’’ Louis shouted out in repugnance, causing a few patrons to turn towards the noise. ‘’I am disowning you, my child!’’

‘’Shh, you’re so loud, you idiot’’, Harry said, giggling at Louis’ behaviour. 

‘’At least I don’t order pineapple on my pizza. How have I never known what a monster you are? Underneath that cute and handsome exterior, there is definitely something wrong.’’

Harry racked his brain for a witty response, but, when it did not come, he opted to stick out his tongue at Louis.

‘’You filthy boy’’, Louis remarked. ‘’I still love you, though.’’

Harry felt goosebumps rise on his skin at those five words and, _oh yeah_ , he had been so afraid Louis was fully aware of his crush that was more than just a crush. This, however, seemed like an ordinary pizza night. They’d had plenty of them back home. Well, at their flat, which was probably what Louis considered to be his home. For Harry, home had become less of a place and more of people. One person, to be exact. One person who was standing in front of him.

Louis approached the waiter who had welcomed them earlier. 

‘’Are you ready to order?’’ the man asked him. 

‘’Yep. We’d like to share a pizza’’, he replied, knowing they would never be able to polish off an entire pizza for themselves. He might, but Harry? No way.

‘’Half pepperoni and extra cheese, and half Hawaiian, please. Can’t believe this one wants to put fruit on a bloody pizza’’, he said with a roll of his eyes, nodding in Harry’s direction.

‘’, I heard that. Stop making fun of my taste’’, Harry protested, his lips forming a tiny pout.

The waiter chuckled. ‘’Lots of people order our Hawaiian pizza’’, he told the boys.

‘’ _See_?’’ Harry shot at Louis.

Louis shushed him.

‘’Doesn’t mean I don’t think it’s weird, however’’, the waiter then added with a wink. 

‘’Ha! I win, Harry. You lose, you measly peasant.’’ Louis had the biggest smirk on his face, just like he always did whenever he won an argument. They never fought a lot, though. Their discussions usually were about who got control of the remote. Harry always let Louis win, without the smaller boy knowing. He was just too cute for Harry to resist.

Harry rolled his eyes and chuckled. Sometimes he wondered why he had even fallen for this boy. It then took him about two seconds and one look at Louis to remember why.

‘’Aw, don’t be sad, Hazza’’, Louis said, pinching his cheeks and rubbing their noses together in an Eskimo kiss. Harry’s breathing hitched at their proximity, which Louis visibly noticed. His eyes widened just a tad and he took a step back. He ignored the shiver running down his spine.

‘’D’you think the others are still doing karaoke?’’ Harry asked in an attempt to stop the situation from becoming awkward.

‘’I reckon Niall’s moved onto Céline Dion songs by now. They probably don’t even realise we left.’’

Harry chuckled. ‘’Sounds about right. Although I’m kinda picturing Zayn doing a Nicki Minaj song with Liam shaking his arse in the background.’’

Louis slapped his arm gently, careful not to actually hurt him. ‘’Ew! I do _not_ want to think about Liam shaking anything.’’ He shuddered at the mere thought.

Harry let out a loud, honking laugh. ‘’Could be hot, who knows? I bet a lot of fans would pay millions to see him do that.’’

‘’Hot? Harry, did you seriously just call Liam hot? Are you, like, into him?’’ Louis asked.

Harry’s cheeks flushed. ‘’No. He’s hot, like, objectively. I mean, Liam’s a very handsome man. Just not my type, I guess’’, he rambled.

Louis raised his eyebrows. ‘’You have a type?’’

Harry looked down at the ground in order to avoid any eye contact, and shrugged.

‘’C’mon, I wanna know, bro’’, Louis said. Harry tried not to cringe at that last word.

‘’I dunno really. Someone a little less buff. I like someone with a toned body, but, um, a bit more petite. With, um, softer features. Curves, too.’’ He had to refrain from adding other characteristics, such as blue eyes, soft fringe, and cute, little freckles. That could have been a bit too revealing.

‘’Hmm, I could see that’’, Louis tapping his chin. ‘’For you, I mean. I’d have a hard time picturing you with Liam as anything more than just friends.’’

‘’I have a hard time picturing myself with anyone, to be quite honest’’, Harry admitted. _Except for you_ , he almost added. 

‘’’M just gonna stay single for the rest of my life and be one of those ladies with tons of cats, I think.’’

Louis chortled at that statement. ‘’I bet you’d make one brilliant cat lady, Haz. But you’re gonna find someone, believe me. There’s not a single doubt in my mind.’’

Harry bit his lip. ‘’Yeah, well… um, how’s Eleanor?’’ he asked.

Louis groaned. ‘’Ugh, I really do not want to talk about her. She’s great, but…’’

He did not have to continue for Harry to know what was on his mind. Not too long ago, management set him up with Eleanor. Behind closed doors, they were nothing. Friends, at best. That’s not what the tabloids were saying, however.

Modest thought it would be a good idea to have one of the boys fake-date someone for publicity. Originally, that boy was meant to be Harry. Louis had jumped to his defense, not wanting the younger boy to be put in a situation like that. Harry was more than grateful for the intervention, but he could not say he was happy with the current situation; every now and then Louis ought to be seen somewhere public with Eleanor. Not much more was needed as the stories wrote themselves, or, more accurately, the reporters wrote their entirely love story for them.

Eleanor seemed nice enough. If Louis had to pretend to date anyone, he was glad it was someone not too snobby or pretentious or plain _fake_ , the latter being a proper description for a lot of people he had stumbled upon in the time he had already spent in the music industry. Still, he preferred not having to date anyone for publicity.

‘’I’m sorry’’, Harry said quietly.

‘’Not your fault’’, Louis was quick to reply.

‘’It kinda is. It was supposed to be me.’’ Harry’s head was lowered in shame.

‘’Love, it really isn’t. You are a minor. You shouldn’t have to go through something like that. Hell, you shouldn’t have to do shit like that, regardless of your age.’’

‘’But Louis-‘’

‘’No ‘but Louis’s’. Harry, I wanted to, okay. I couldn’t see them doing that to you.’’

‘’Thanks, Lou. I don’t know if I ever thanked you properly. So, thank you.’’

The corner of Louis’ mouth tilted upwards in a sincere smile. ‘’You have. About a thousand times already. Besides, I have a great way for you to thank me.’’

‘’You do?’’ Harry asked, confusion and curiosity written all over his features. How could he ever even begin to repay Louis?

‘’Yep. You’re gonna make me schnitzel when we get back home’’, Louis answered.

Harry chuckled lightly. ‘’I thought we’d already settled that.’’

Louis frowned and pouted in a manner that Harry found nothing short of adorable.

‘’Really?’’ 

Harry nodded.

‘’Well, I guess you’re making me apple strudel too, then.’’

‘’Deal.’’

In the meantime, their pizza had been prepared. The waiter returned with the large box containing the food in his hand.

‘’Mm, smells delicious’’, Louis moaned. ‘’I’m gonna devour this thing. Apart from the bits with pineapple, though’’, he asked, nose wrinkling in disgust.

‘’Drama queen’’, Harry mumbled.

‘’At least I’m owning it’’, Louis sassed him, before handing over the appropriate amount of money for the pizza plus a little bit extra and sashaying away, making a show of swaying his hips. Harry tried his best not to look at his best mate’s arse. 

He failed.

He quickly averted his eyes, though, when Louis promptly ran back to the counter.

‘’Sorry’’, he said to the dark-haired waiter. ‘’I wanted to do that dramatic departure thingy, but I forgot to say goodbye. So, um, have a good night!’’

The waiter laughed in delight as he shook Louis’ hand. Louis then walked off again.

‘’He’s a keeper’’, the waiter whispered to Harry. ‘’Tiny, but feisty.’’

‘’Oh, believe me, I know.’’ Harry didn’t think he could look any less like a lovesick fool.

‘’Well, I hope you like the pizza, even though it has pineapple, and I wish you a lovely evening with your tiny man.’’

‘’Thank you. You too. Um… without the tiny man’’, Harry replied.

‘’Oh, I have my own version’’, the waiter told him. He turned sideways and pointed to one of the other waiters near the back of the restaurant. It was a young man of about the same height as Louis, with walnut-coloured short hair.

When he caught his boyfriend’s gaze, he waved and beamed at him. The two of them seemed to radiate light and warmth as they looked at one another. For a moment, Harry let himself believe that one day that could be him and Louis.

Louis, who was currently calling out his name.

‘’I should go. Thanks again. Have a great night’’, Harry told the waiter.

Outside, Harry was met with the cold again, but his insides felt all warm and cosy as he fell into step next to Louis.

‘’Where are we going?’’ he asked expectantly. He’d go with Louis anywhere, but he preferred to not stay in the cold for much longer.

‘’Home’’, Louis explained.

_Already there._

‘’I want to show you something’’, Louis added. He sounded a bit unsure of himself as he said it, causing Harry to wonder what Louis wanted to show him. 

Harry linked their hands together, giving Louis’ a tiny squeeze to give him a sense of comfort.

Louis’ hand was cold as ice, but Harry did not mind. He was glad to be able to hold him like this. 

They soon reached the cottage, finding it dark, empty and cold. _Really cold._

The two of them immediately ran over to the fireplace to get a good fire going. Harry went to their bedroom to fetch their warmest and softest blankets as Louis fixed them a cuppa.

They settled under layers of blankets in front of the roaring fire, steaming mugs in their hands.

‘’So… what did you want to show me?’’ Harry asked, breaking the comfortable silence they had sat in.

‘’Oh, right’’, Louis said, his nerves already making an appearance again. ‘’Well, um, it’s not really _showing_. It’s more like, um, I need you to listen to something.’’

‘’Listen?’’ Harry asked.

‘’Yeah. Um, I wrote a song. I didn’t want the other boys to hear, though. Yet.’’

Harry nodded in understanding, feeling a surge of pride course through his body because he was the one Louis wanted to share his words with, not any of the other boys.

‘’I’m kind of nervous. You can probably tell’’, Louis said, letting out a self-deprecating chuckle afterwards.

‘’Don’t be. You have a lovely voice, Louis. The most beautiful voice I have ever heard’’, Harry told him, meaning every single word.

‘’It’s- it’s not really about that, it’s… I’m just gonna go ahead and sing, okay?’’ 

Harry nodded, giving Louis an encouraging smile.

Louis cleared his throat.

He opened his mouth to sing the first few words, but quickly shut it again. ‘’Fuck, this is really scary.’’

‘’We can talk about it?’’ Harry offered, but Louis shook his head.

‘’No, um, it’s fine. I’ll just… yeah.’’ He shifted a bit underneath the blankets so he was facing Harry.

‘’Be honest, okay?’’ Louis told him. ‘’Don’t hold back anything.’’

He waited for Harry to nod before fishing a crumpled piece of paper from his jeans.

His voice trembled to sing, _Make a little conversation_.

_So long I’ve been waiting_

_To let go of myself and feel alive_

His voice became more steady in the second part of the verse, as he felt confidence growing inside him.

_So many nights I thought it over_

_Told myself I kinda liked her_

_But there was something missing in her eyes_

Louis finally dared to look away from the ink on his paper, instead honing in on Harry’s eyes, which had already been fixed on him.

Louis’ doubts and worries vanished as he softly sung the pre-chorus, and, after that, the chorus. A fire more powerful than the one in front of him appeared in his eyes as he sung the line, _It was there I saw it in your eyes_. His heart was beating out of his chest as he sung the last few words of the song, not once having broken eye contact with the soft boy in front of him.

‘’So’’, Louis said, suddenly becoming more conscious with himself again now that the song was over. ‘’What did you think?’’

Harry’s eyes prickled with tears. Tears of pride, tears of love for Louis. ‘’It was perfect’’, he choked out.

‘’Did you, um, get it? The song, I mean’’, Louis asked nervously. ‘’It’s about our time at the X Factor house.’’

Harry waited for him to continue, knowing he hadn’t finished his statement yet.

‘’Remember how I was dating Hannah at the time?’’

Harry nodded. He definitely remembered the sinking feeling in his stomach when Louis first mentioned her.

‘’Well, um, that’s what this is about, I guess. No, I don’t guess, it’s a fact. A fact about me. Do you feel hot as well? Who turned the heat on, am I right?’’

When Harry remained silent, he said, ‘’Right, that was me. The fire, um, well, but…’’

Harry put his hands on Louis’ shoulders. ‘’Easy, Lou.’’

‘’I’m sorry, I’m just. Rambling. Fuck. What’s the matter with me?’’

‘’You’re fine, Lou. It was such a beautiful song. And it obviously means a lot to you.’’

Louis nodded. ‘’Did you hear the lyrics, though? I mean, really hear them.’’

Harry did hear certain things that he could most definitely relate to, but he was afraid of jumping to conclusions. A song means something different to everyone, so he could very well interpret it the wrong way.

Harry looked down at the blanket, thinking of ways to respond to this question without giving an answer Louis would not want to hear. A stray curl fell in front of his face. Before he could push it back, Louis had already twirled it around his pointer finger before gently placing it in its original spot behind Harry’s ear. 

Harry forced himself to inhale and exhale under Louis’ gaze. There was something unreadable in the older boy’s eyes, an emotion Harry had not seen in them yet.

‘’Lou?’’ he croaked out. Louis inched forward just a bit. If Harry had blinked, he would not have registered the movement. 

Harry found himself being pulled forward by an invisible force, a force that seemed to be doing its work on Louis as well.

There were mere inches between their faces, between their lips, and Harry could feel Louis’ breath on him.

Just a tiny bit closer and then…

Harry and Louis both nearly jumped at the sound of the front door opening and slamming closed, a gap immediately created between their bodies.

Zayn entered the room, his body attached to someone else’s. And that someone else appeared to be…

‘’ _Liam!?_ ’’ Harry and Louis squeaked out in unison.

Zayn and Liam broke away from the heavy kiss they had been sharing.

‘’Well, this is awkward’’, Liam said, looking like he’d very much like to be anywhere else.

‘’I’ve got no time for awkward’’, Zayn said, taking Liam’s hand and dragging him towards his bedroom. 

That left Harry and Louis, eyes wide at what had happened.

Hearts racing because of what could have happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)  
> Kudos are much appreciated!  
> I wish you all an amazing week♥


	13. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!  
> This is a relatively short chapter, but next will be longer aaaand more important ;)  
> There's a lot of cringe, so please bear with me.  
> xx J

After their encounter with Liam and Zayn, Harry and Louis soundlessly got up from the couch, parting ways.

Harry went to their shared bedroom and let himself fall face-down onto his bed. 

Louis, on the other hand, went outside for a smoke, mobile phone in his pocket. It was cold and he was not wearing a coat. He wished he’d brought the blankets they had used earlier, before… Yeah.

The cold stung, but he paid no further mind to it as he lit up a cigarette. He wished Zayn, his regular smoking buddy, was here. They used to have some deep conversations while just sitting outside, sharing a cig. Their little tradition ended not long after it started, after Louis had found out Harry was not particularly fond of the smell of smoke. The younger boy had sworn up and down he was okay with Louis smoking as much as he wanted, but Louis had tried to cut down on his habit a bit.

But in some moments, this one in particular, Louis missed those conversations with Zayn. It wasn’t like he could ask the boy to come meet him right now, as he was probably busy with Liam. He was happy for his mate, for both of his mates, but he really needed Zayn right now. Or just anyone he trusted.

Which is why he found himself retrieving his phone and dialling an all too familiar number.

Tears were stinging in his eyes as he waited for the phone to be picked up.

Finally, a voice answered. A voice he hadn’t heard in a while, a voice that always made him feel at home, no matter in which part of the world he was.

A single tear crawled its way down his cheek.

‘’Hi mum.’’

-

Louis never went to bed. At least, he did not return to the room he shared with Harry.

The latter had been sleepless all night. He waited for his best friend to return, hoping he would still be able to call him his best friend in the morning. He never came.

Harry fucked up. He had been replaying the evening’s events over and over again in his head, starting from their karaoke performance all the way to their almost-kiss. But was that really what it was? Maybe it was just him who had leaned in…

He had tossed and turned in bed, trying to make sense of what had happened. There were so many things he was unsure of, so he tried to count the facts.

1\. He had almost kissed his long-time crush and best mate.  
2\. They had been interrupted by Liam and Zayn, who apparently had a thing for one another.  
3\. Louis was straight. Is straight.

So, he came to the conclusion he had abso- _bloody_ -lutely fucked up. Quite possibly destroyed his friendship with Louis as well.

Dreading seeing him for the first time after what had almost happened, Harry took a long time brushing his teeth and changing his clothes. He hadn’t bothered taking them off when he went to bed.

There were large bags apparent under his eyes, and his eyes were red from the lack of sleep. He wondered what Louis looked like right now. Probably beautiful and soft as ever.

Harry left the bedroom, closing the door softly behind him. It was still rather early and he didn’t know if the others would be up already. It was highly likely Zayn and Liam would sleep in.

As Harry entered the kitchen, he saw that he wasn’t alone. Louis’ curvy body was one he could recognise anywhere.

Louis turned around at the sound of someone approaching.

Harry immediately noticed how his eyes were also red, and glassy. He looked like he had just been crying and his heart immediately broke for the boy.

‘’Hi’’, Louis said softly, sending Harry the tiniest of smiles that still managed to equal the brightness of about a thousand stars.

‘’Hi, um, Lou’’, Harry replied, voice quiet. He was surprised Louis had even said anything to him.

‘’We need to talk’’, Louis announced.

Harry felt a knot forming in his stomach as he said, ‘’Yeah, probably.’’ He racked his brain for excuses.

‘’So, about last night…’’ Louis started.

‘’Yeah, Zee and Li, who would have known?’’ Harry said, that being the first thing that came to mind. He wanted to bang his head against the kitchen cupboards for saying something that stupid. 

He gave Louis a tentative smile, as if he had not just blatantly pretended that nothing had happened between them last night.

Louis’ face fell.

‘’W- what?’’ 

Harry decided he was in too deep already and he had only spoken a few words so far, so he decided to go with it.

‘’I mean, who saw that one coming?’’ he continued.

‘’Um, I don’t know, but that was not what-‘’ Louis couldn’t finish his sentence, as he was cut off by Harry yet again.

‘’I’m so happy for them. Truly.’’

‘’Me too, but-‘’

‘’I want to do something special for them. Surprise breakfast, maybe? They’re probably very hungry after, you know…’’ Harry trailed off and sent Louis a wink, instantly disliking himself a little bit more.

He sensed Louis was about to speak up again, so he again went to say something before properly thinking it through.

‘’So, who was on top, d’you think?’’ Harry scrunched his nose up in disgust. His mind was creating images he’d rather not have seen. 

Louis looked properly scandalised as well, eyes wide and mouth open.

‘’I don’t really want to think about that. But there was something else I wanted to talk to you about…’’

Harry bit his lower lip, not able to make up any new excuses. He silently prayed for a divine intervention. Louis took this as his opportunity to talk.

‘’So, last night, when we were on the couch, and I had just sung my song, something happened and-‘’

‘’Hiya lads!’’ Niall cheerfully exclaimed as he joined Louis and Harry in the kitchen. He seemed awfully energetic and ready to start the day for someone who had pretty much drowned an entire keg’s worth of beer the night prior. Then again, _he was Irish_.

Louis pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. ‘’Great timing as always, Neil’’, he muttered, before walking off.

Niall looked at Harry, confused at Louis’ behaviour.

‘’What did I do now?’’

Harry didn’t feel like responding.

-

Breakfast was relatively quiet. Zayn and Liam kept giving one another bashful glances, Niall kept wiggling his eyebrows at Harry because of said looks, and Louis had yet to join them.

When he did, after ten minutes of silence, Harry feared the worst. Surprisingly enough, Louis was donning a broad smile as he sat down next to the green-eyed boy and even gave him a pat on the back.

It was so different than their last encounter and Harry wondered what had changed.

‘’Looks great, mate’’, Louis told him, nodding at the bacon and eggs on the table. Harry cringed at the last word, mostly because Louis had put a certain level of emphasis on it.

‘’Um, thank you’’, Harry replied as he served himself another pancake.

‘’No problem, bro’’, Louis said.

The ‘’bros’’ and ‘’mates’’ were beginning to become a bit awkward in Harry’s opinion. And he was not the only one who seemed to feel that way if the confused look on Niall’s face was anything to go by.

‘’So, skiing today, lads?’’ Louis asked, his voice painfully cheerful. It sounded almost fake to Harry.

Zayn and Liam gave each other another one of those looks, their cheeks immediately heating up.

‘’Um, we were actually planning on staying in’’, Liam said quietly.

‘’You could have just said you wanted to bone Zayn again’’, Niall bluntly stated.

‘’That was not… we’re not…’’

‘’Zayn isn’t exactly quiet in bed – which was somewhat of a surprise, I must admit – and the walls here are thin – which also surprises me because of good isolation in the cold and all that, but yeah… Go ahead and fuck.’’

Niall’s comments made Zayn and Liam’s cheeks go even more rosy.

‘’Right, well, guess I know what we’re going to do this afternoon’’, Zayn said.

‘’Harold here wants to know who’s on top’’, Louis blurted out all of a sudden.

Harry smacked his arm. 

‘’What, dude? You said it yourself’’, Louis retaliated.

‘’Yeah, but I didn’t _really_ want to know’’, Harry squeaked out.

‘’That’s private’’, Liam answered, shocked at the question, while Zayn said, ‘’Liam.’’

‘’Oh, was I not supposed to say anything?’’

A smirk appeared on Niall’s face. ‘’Oooh, Liam has a dominant streak.’’

‘’Excuse me? Bottoms can be dominant too’’, Harry protested.

‘’Speaking from personal experience, are we now?’’ Louis asked. As soon as the words had left his lips, his face fell and it was visible he regretted even asking.

Harry blushed. Liam covered his ears with his hands.

‘’Why are we even having this conversation?’’ he asked.

‘’Curiosity’’, was Niall’s short reply.

‘’Why are you even curious? You’re literally the only straight person here’’, Louis said on a chuckle.

He could feel Zayn and Harry’s eyes on him, Niall and Liam oblivious to what his words had meant.

‘’Apart from me, of course’’, Louis quickly added, looking down at the table.

Zayn looked away, but Harry’s eyes remained fixed on Louis.

‘’Did you just assume my sexuality, Lewis?’’ Niall fired at him. He expected to be sassed by the older boy, but no response came. That caught Niall off guard.

‘’So, um, how about the skiing?’’ he asked, choosing to change the subject.

‘’I’m up for it’’, Louis said.

‘’Yeah, me too’’, Harry chimed in.

He felt Louis eyes on him for what seemed less than a second.

‘’Well, gear up, boys!’’ Niall exclaimed.

‘’We’re hitting the slopes. And Liam’s hitting that arse.’’

That earned him a few dirty looks from both Zayn and Liam, but Niall paid no attention to it as he shoved a few more pieces of bacon down his throat along with half a pancake, a combination anyone but Niall would have found disgusting.

He stood up from the table, motioning for Harry and Louis to do so too.

‘’Enjoy the sex, losers’’, Niall told the remaining boys.

Harry went to collect his skiing gear, Louis following seat. He would have preferred to have Zayn and Liam there, as it would mean he and Louis would not be alone. Sure, Niall would still be there, but he was sure the lad would want to go talk to Victoria again and leave Harry alone with his... well, crush, didn’t cover it anymore. 

Butterflies soared in his belly as he looked up at Louis, mingling with the feeling of dread. 

Little did he know something big was about to come their way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Kudo's are much appreciated.  
> Wishing you all a lovely day <3


	14. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone :)  
> It took me a while to update, but finally, the new chapter's here. I used a lot of Larry quotes, so feel free to hate me.  
> Hope you like it!
> 
> xx J
> 
> John Mayer - New Light // Niall Horan ft. Maren Morris - Seeing Blind

It was extremely cold. That was the first thing noticed by Harry as he left the cottage. Not the _let’s go outside for a winter-y walk_ kind of cold, but the _let’s go back inside and lie beneath at least five layers of blankets_ kind.

The wind was biting and Harry adjusted his dark blue wool scarf so it covered his mouth. He was beginning to feel a bit ill already, but that could very well be because of what happened between him and Louis.

Speaking of the devil…

Louis came outside too, joined by Niall, who was cackling loudly at one of his own jokes. 

Harry started walking. The more distance he kept between Louis and himself, the better. He did not need to look behind him to check if his friends were still behind him; Niall’s voice rang through the air loud and clear, indicating he was still present. And, seconds after Niall cracked another joke, Louis’ northern accent would be audible. Harry really wished his heart would stop doing summersaults at the mere sound.

He remained quiet until they reached their destination, silently taking in the sound of Louis’ voice.

And then, when they had reached their destination, the unthinkable happened.

Well, not unthinkable, seeing as Harry had already predicted this would happen. But still, the tiniest bit of hope had lingered inside him.

That very bit of hope evaporated into thin air as Niall made a beeline for the restaurant.

‘’Later boys, I have a girl to meet up with’’, he announced to Louis and Harry.

‘’How do you even know she’s there?’’ Harry asked quietly. He shot Niall a look that he hoped contained the message he wanted his friend to receive. The message that he should stay with him instead, not leave him alone with Louis.

Niall, however, was oblivious as always.

‘’I just know’’, he said, shrugging.

‘’Well’’, Louis chimed in, ‘’how do you know she even wants to see you?’’

Niall looked at his feet, his posture sagging a bit. An unsure look appeared on his features. It was something Harry had never seen on Niall before. He was always so charming, so full of confidence. This was new. He did not like seeing his friend this way.

‘’Of course she wants to see him’’, he said, hoping it would cheer Niall up.

Louis, however, still looked skeptical. 

‘’I thought we were gonna hang together, _all three of us_?’’ he said.

Niall fidgeted with his shirt. 

‘’Oh come on, he can join us later. Victoria has work to do anyway, so he won’t be _that_ long’’, Harry protested. 

Louis shot him a look of disbelief. That was when Harry caught on. Louis didn’t want them to be alone either. Which was, to be frank, quite confusing to Harry. At first, Louis had been distant. Then, he was all ‘’cool’’ all of a sudden. And now, he seemed to be distant yet again. Harry had trouble keeping up. All he knew was that he did not want to mess things up for Niall, as much as he preferred to have the Irish lad come with them. And, besides, he himself had said before that Victoria probably would not have the time to talk for a long time. Niall was bound to join them sooner or later.

Which, it later turned out, was later. Too late, even.

With visible disappointment, Louis allowed Niall to enter the restaurant and let himself be ushered to the slopes. 

As per usual, they had made sure to bring their own equipment so they would not have to deal with the hassle of renting skiing gear.

They took the ski lift further up the mountain, sitting next to one another in uncomfortable silence. Much to Harry’s surprise, he found himself missing Louis’ behaviour from breakfast that morning.

The way up was way too long and both boys were relieved to get off the lift.

They prepared themselves for the journey down, double-checking to see if their ski boots were properly buckled. 

Harry wanted to lighten the tension between Louis and himself. He knew he was the cause of the tension and he wished it would just disappear. He desperately tried to think of things he could say to him. However, only mundane things came to his mind. He suspected Louis would just snort if Harry said something about the good weather.

He turned his head to the left to look at Louis, but to find he wasn’t there anymore. He was already on his way downhill, without having given Harry any kind of sign.

Harry made quick work of following, doing said work a bit too well. He was soaring down the snowy hill with a greater speed than ever before. He found himself sliding past Louis.

His take-off had been slightly unsteady as it had been rushed, and Harry felt his legs wobbling a bit.

The wind whipped around him as he unwillingly picked up even more speed, the ski’s shaking violently beneath him.

He heard someone shout his name, which was the last thing he took note of before his body collided with the snow and his vision faded.

-

When Harry opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the fact that he was no longer outside in the crisp mountain air. The second thing – or rather person – he noticed was Louis, who was sitting next to him.

Harry blinked slowly. After having registered the tiny movement, Louis gasped and scooted closer to the curly-headed lad. He looked at him expectantly.

‘’Oops?’’ Harry croaked out.

Louis rolled his eyes, and chuckled fondly. ‘’Hi’’, he replied, voice softer than the blanket that someone had carefully placed on top of Harry’s body.

Harry began to take in his surroundings. He was in a hospital-like bed, but he was in no hospital. It was a tiny cabin with wooden walls. On the other side of the room, he spotted a cabinet that held different kinds of medicine.

He tried to lift himself a bit, but felt a sharp pain shoot through his left ankle as he did so.

‘’Fuck’’, he cursed.

‘’Don’t move’’, Louis told him. ‘’You sprained your ankle. Also, due to your unfortunate landing, you hit your head rather hard, so you might feel a bit dizzy.’’

‘’I’m okay. I think.’’

‘’Well, be careful anyway’’, Louis told him.

Harry nodded. ‘’How did I hit my head? The snow should be like a pillow.’’

‘’Your ski’s don’t, though. You did not completely fasten your boots and ski’s the proper way, so when you fell, they slid right off and rolled down the mountain, but you were tumbling faster, and… well… your head… There was some blood, but not a lot. There was a doctor here. She said you might have a concussion and should let her know if your ears keep ringing and you are experiencing a headache or dizziness.’’

‘’I’m fine, Lou, really. My ankle just hurts a lot.’’

‘’You’re an idiot, that’s what you are. How could you not have buckled your shoes?’’ Louis said.

‘’I thought I did’’, Harry answered. And he really thought so. But maybe he had been too pre-occupied with how to act towards the boy next to him that he hadn’t paid enough attention to his boots.

‘’I was worried sick. It was a nasty fall. I kept calling your name, but you didn’t reply’’, Louis told him. Harry could see the worry in his eyes and felt a pang of guilt at the knowledge that he had been the cause of that. He now also knew that it was Louis who had been calling his name when he fell.

‘’I lied a little. There was quite some blood. I’m surprised you’re doing so well’’, Louis continued. Harry saw that tears had sprung in the older boy’s eyes.

‘’Fuck, don’t do that ever again.’’

‘’Never’’, Harry promised. ‘’I’m sorry, Lou.’’

Louis switched his chair for the small space that was left on the bed Harry was currently leaning on. Louis laid down next to him and nuzzled Harry’s shoulder. He was cautious as to not hurt Harry’s ankle – or head.

Harry relished the warmth Louis radiated. Usually it was the Doncaster lad who seemed to permanently have a skin of ice, but now he was like a human heater. Harry was grateful for his company.

‘’What time is it?’’ Harry asked.

‘’A better question would be what day it is’’, Louis remarked.

‘’What!?’’ Harry exclaimed.

‘’Shh, I’m only kidding. Sorry to burst your bubble, but you weren’t out for very long. You’re stuck here with us for many more days’’, Louis joked. He then turned serious again. ‘’It’s around five-ish. I think you woke up once before but fell asleep immediately after.’’

‘’Where are the others?’’ Harry asked.

‘’I only alerted Niall. He came by earlier. He should be in the kitchen by now, said he was gonna cook something simple and drop some food off here later. I haven’t told Zee or Li, because, for starters, I did not want to worry them, and also because I did not want to walk in on them fucking.’’

Louis thought for a moment, before continuing. ‘’You probably would, what with you wanting to know who’s on top and who bottoms.’’

‘’Ugh, don’t remind me’’, Harry moaned out. ‘’About this morning, though, I’m sorry for being so weird.’’

Louis sat up at the mention of that morning. Harry instantly missed his warmth.

‘’It, um, wasn’t just your fault. I was weird too. With the ‘bro’ thing and all…’’ Louis chewed on his lower lip nervously. ‘’I was weird. You were weird. We were both weird, and, fuck, I’m rambling. Why am I rambling? Seriously, stop me.’’

And so Harry did. ‘’I’m also sorry about what could have happened last night’’, he said, effectively silencing Louis with those words. Louis, who was now gaping at him, shocked at the change of subject.

‘’I… I though you didn’t… This morning, you acted like nothing happened, I-‘’ Louis cut himself off, not really knowing what he wanted to say exactly.

Harry’s mind was racing. Like nothing happened, Louis had said. Which meant that something had happened. Harry had been beating about the thousands of possibilities of what had happened that night. He was so afraid he had imagined everything, or that he had been the only one who had leaned in… Well, the latter was still a possibility.

‘’That was stupid of me. I just… I thought you would prefer to ignore it’’, Harry whispered.

‘’Why would I want to do that?’’ Louis asked, genuinely curious.

‘’Because…’’

‘’Because why?’’

‘’Because you like girls. I’m a boy. I’m not… You don’t… I can’t… I can’t find any words’’, Harry said, sniffing. A fat tear began its journey down his cheek.

‘’I can’t find them. I’m sorry, Louis.’’

Louis laid down next to him on his side, so he could see Harry, even though the angle was a bit off. He started to gently stroke Harry’s hair to calm him down a bit.

‘’Take your time. The words will come. There’s no rush.’’ Louis’ own heart was beating loudly because of the conversation and where it could be heading, but, for now, his main priority was to conciliate Harry.

Harry was breathing heavily. ‘’Shh, easy, love. You’re okay’’, Louis told him. But Harry did not feel okay. Fuck the broken ankle. Fuck the concussion he probably didn’t even have. This conversation was more painful than any of that. In a few minutes he had to admit his feelings for his best friend to said friend and it was terrifying. He did not want to be rejected. He did not want Louis’ sympathy as he let him down gently. He knew Louis would not be mad at him, he was too kind of a person for that, but the rejection, no matter how gentle it would be brought, was bound to sting anyway. He just wanted for everything to return to the way it was. To him and Louis being best friends without any complications. To the time Louis was unaware of the fact his best mate liked boys, not girls like the media had tried to convince the world. 

To when all his feelings were pent up inside of him and he could not share any of them with anyone else.

He had hated it. Absolutely hated it, he realised with a shock. Yes, the prospect of being rejected by the person you care about the most is bloody awful. But keeping your feelings inside and pretending everything’s alright is worse. And so, he had to choose.

‘’I’m in love with you’’, he blurted out. The words triggered the formation of more tears and the tiny drops of liquid slowly started to glide down his cheek as he continued.

‘’I love you, Louis. I always have. I love you. I love how everything feels so natural between us. I love making you a cuppa before you go to bed. I love how you always get so cranky when it’s cold, even though I pretend to be annoyed with you every single time. I love how your smile lights up the entire room, with those cute crinkles that appear by your eyes. I love the freckles on your face, and I want to bloody kiss every single one of them even if it takes all my life. And this is all so scary because I’m so young, but I’m so sure of this. Of you. And I know there is no chance in hell that you would ever-‘’

He was cut off by soft, thin lips crashing against his plump ones. All breath was knocked out of his body at the soft touch. He felt Louis’ lips moving against his own, but he was unable to do anything. 

Louis pulled back slightly, eyes glimmering. The top half of his body was awkwardly positioned on Harry’s torso. He took in a deep breath.

‘’I love you too, H.’’

Louis could no longer hold back his own tears. He sniffled. ‘’The song I sang yesterday… It was about you. Well, mostly about m- me, but, about me falling in love with… with you.’’

‘’You love me?’’ Harry squeaked out, not believing any of this was happening. 

When he was younger, his dream was to become a successful singer. Thanks to The X Factor that dream had become reality. Then, he had a new dream. And after so many sleepless nights and tiring days and way too many wishes upon stars, his new dream was no longer just a dream.

‘’I do’’, Louis replied, nothing but sincerity in his voice and gaze. ‘’I love you. And I love how you make me a cuppa before bed too. And I’d love for you to kiss my freckles, but first, I’d very much love to kiss you again, if you’d allow me?’’

Harry cradled Louis’ cheeks and gently pulled him down, allowing their lips to meet again. 

Harry had seen way too many romcoms, and therefore, he had a lot of expectations of what people loved to call a ‘’true love’s kiss’’. There would be fireworks, and butterflies, yes, all the butterflies and fireworks. 

In reality, their teeth would occasionally clash, and the angle was still a bit awkward due to Harry’s injuries. There were no fireworks, no butterflies. There was, however, something way better. Something films somehow always failed to mention. What there was, was a sense of comfort. Of home. Of knowing you’re exactly in the right place, and wanting to never be anywhere else again. It was a feeling similar to returning home after a long journey, but multiplied by a billion. 

Their teeth clashed again, the angle was still no better, and both were running out of breath. It was one of the best moments of Harry’s life.

He felt Louis shift on top of him, straddling him. Harry felt nervous yet completely calm at the same time as they came up for air for a tenth of a second before closing the gap yet again. They deepened the kiss gradually and, involuntarily, they started to roll their hips against each other.

They were breathing heavily through their noses as the temperature in the room started to rise. They were both rock-hard in their trousers. Louis shifted again.

‘’Ow, shit!’’ Harry exclaimed, his face contorted by a spasm of pain.

‘’Shit, baby, did I hurt you?’’ Louis asked worriedly as he got off Harry’s body quickly.

‘’No, no, I’m fine. It’s just my ankle.’’

‘’So I did hurt you. I’m so sorry.’’ Louis did not meet his eyes. Harry didn’t liked that. He lifted Louis’ chin with his thumb.

As he was met with the deep blue of Louis’ eyes, he felt a shiver shooting down his spine. If he were standing, his knees would have buckled. 

‘’I’m fine’’, he repeated, this time a bit more slowly. He always had a hard time speaking when Louis was in his vision, capturing all of his attention.

‘’Did- did all of that really just happen?’’ Harry asked.

Louis shyly bit his lip. Harry’s heart fluttered at the sight.

Louis, now in standing position, lowered down to Harry’s level.

‘’Can I? Um, again?’’ he asked.

Harry, understanding the implied question, nodded. Louis softly pecked his lips, choosing not to take it any further this time, instead keeping it short and sweet.

‘’I love you’’, Harry said. Now that he had spilled the words once, it was like he could not stop saying them.

‘’I really, really, love you.’’

‘’Same to you, Curly.’’

Harry’s smile threatened to split his cheeks and he felt like a schoolgirl with her first crush. 

 

‘’I do have one question though’’, he said.

‘’Hmm, that was less than I was expecting, so that’s not too bad’’, was Louis’ reply. He chuckled. ‘’What do you want to know?’’

‘’Are you gay?’’

‘’How about we have a talk about that and more over dinner?’’ Louis suggested. ‘’Niall should be bringing that soon anyway.’’

Harry nodded. ‘’Sounds good. One more question though.’’

Louis raised his eyebrows. ‘’I thought you had _one question_ , not more.’’  
When he saw Harry pouting, he gave in. ‘’Ask away love.’’

‘’Kiss me again?’’ Harry asked, softly and cautiously, as if there was any chance of Louis not wanting to kiss him again.

‘’Your wish is my command, princess’’, Louis answered, not at all bothered by the idea of kissing his best friend again.

They smiled all throughout the kiss.

It was Harry who broke it this time. 

‘’’S a good thing Niall didn’t walk in on us earlier, when things were getting a bit heated. Wouldn’t want to shock him with homemade porn’’, he announced.

Louis burst out laughing.

‘’Oh honey, we were not making any porn. Not with your crippled body, at least.’’

Harry let out an indignant huff. ‘’It’s a sprained ankle. My body functions perfectly, thank you very much.’’

‘’Of course it does, love. I’m just messing with you’’, Louis told him.

‘’Just shut up and kiss me you fool’’, Harry answered before pulling Louis close again.

‘’ _I love you so bloody much_ ’’, Louis whispered against the younger boy’s lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Teehee, it finally happened! Prepare for a long talk and an enthusiastic Nialler next chapter.  
> Anygays, I wish all of you a lovely (Easter) weekend♥
> 
> xx J


	15. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyhey :)  
> The new chapter is here. I hope you'll like it.  
> I'm not sure when I will update again, since my final exams are starting soon and I have to study a lot. I hope soon, though.  
> Thank you all so much for your support so far, it truly means a lot!  
> Wishing you all an amazing day ♥  
> xx J
> 
> lovelytheband - maybe, i'm afraid // Kacey Musgraves - Butterflies

When Niall finally arrived with their dinner, Harry and Louis had fallen asleep. Harry was laying on his back in order to keep his ankle from getting any more hurt. Louis was laying on his side, one hands loosely balled up and resting upon Harry’s chest.

‘’I’m here and I carry food’’, Niall said in a sing-song voice as he opened the door. Louis was awakened by the sound of his mate’s voice, but Harry remained asleep, his soft snores echoing through the room.

Louis slowly blinked as he took his surroundings. He lifted his head the tiniest bit and looked at the peaceful expression on Harry’s face. A soft smile crept its way on Louis’ features as he looked at the boy he loved. _His boy_. It was all so surreal. 

He averted his gaze when he heard a loud cough. He turned towards the noise and was met with Niall. 

‘’Shut your Irish trap, he’s asleep’’, Louis whisper-hissed. He snuck a glance at Harry and, again, he felt the urge to smile.

‘’Um, Tommo, something you wanna ‘fess up?’’ Niall asked. The smirk on his face told Louis he was already fully aware of what was going on. He was not sure, however, whether Harry felt comfortable telling the boys so soon. He would have to wait until the boy was awake to found out.

So, he turned back to Niall to say, ‘’Just give us the food already.’’ Perfect, he thought, no denial and no giving in to what was suggested by the band’s leprechaun.

‘’Alright, alright. Very smooth, Tomlinson. I’ll give you some privacy. Give Harry my best’’, Niall told him. He took the few stops to cross the distance to the bed to give Harry a light kiss on his forehead.

‘’Get well soon, buddy’’, he said to a sleeping Harry. ‘’So you and Louis can bone.’’

Louis was tempted to smack Niall with a pillow. Or a brick. He wasn’t fussy.

‘’I’m going, I’m going’’, Niall said upon seeing the look on Louis’ face. ‘’But you bet your perfectly round arse that I’m gonna need details as the future best man’’, he added.

‘’Bye Niall’’, Louis said, cutting him off.

‘’Bye Lou. Also, I _will_ be your best man, right?’’

‘’ _Niall_ ’’, Louis said warningly.

‘’Right, ciao. Adios. Au revoir. Nialler out.’’ He shut the door softly behind him, leaving Harry and Louis alone again.

Louis returned to his previous activity that was quickly becoming his favourite: watching Harry. If this was the sight he would be met with every morning for the rest of his life, he would never complain about anything ever again. Thoughts like these should scare him, as he was still so young, but he felt no fear at all. Only a profound love for the boy next to him.

‘’Fuck, you’re so beautiful’’, Louis said, biting his lip. ‘’You’re killing me, Haz.’’

As if he had heard the words, Harry opened his eyes. He let out a yawn. It made him look like a sleepy kitten.

Louis gently stroked his curls as he woke up. 

‘’Good morning.’’ Another careful stroke. ‘’Well, good evening’’, Louis corrected himself on a chuckle.

‘’Hi’’, Harry said, voice soft and a bit rough from sleep. He blinked a few times, letting all of the memories from the afternoon flood his brain.

‘’ _Hi_ ’’, he repeated. He licked his lips. ‘’Can I kiss you?’’ he asked carefully, as if he were afraid it had all been a dream that he had just woken up from.

‘’You don’t even have to ask’’, Louis said. He leaned down to meet Harry’s lips, but stopped. ‘’Although I kinda like it that you did. Consent is very sexy.’’ He continued his way down and captured Harry’s lips with his own.

Harry’s stomach rumbled. Louis broke the kiss at the sound, causing Harry to let out a high whine.

‘’You hungry, H?’’ Louis asked.

‘’Hungry for your kisses’’, Harry replied. It was obvious he was trying to sound smooth and sexy, but with his pouty face, it was rather cute. Louis could only laugh.

‘’Don’t laugh at me’’, Harry protested. 

‘’I’m not’’, Louis assured him. ‘’So, hungry?’’

‘’Maybe’’, Harry admitted, lips still pouted. Louis could not resist the urge to kiss them once more.

He picked up the food from where Niall had left it on the bedside table, placing it on the bed carefully as to not spill anything.

‘’Do you need me to feed you?’’ Louis asked.

Harry chuckled. ‘’My arm’s fine. But maybe I’ll take you up on that offer later on. When there are chocolate-covered strawberries involved, perhaps.’’

‘’Very romantic’’, Louis said. 

‘’Well, I am a very romantic man. But you will see that for yourself soon enough.’’

‘’Can’t wait’’, Louis answered truthfully. After having lived with Harry for a while, he had felt like he knew everything about the boy, from how he takes his tea – two milk, no sugar – to his favourite Disney films. He even knows the exact face Harry makes when Bambi’s mother dies, can anticipate the moment tears start to appear in the younger boy’s eyes.

Now, however, there was a whole side of Harry he had never had the pleasure to experience before, just waiting to be explored. He could not wait to go on that new expedition with Harry.

‘’Lou?’’ the boy was now asking. ‘’I was wondering if, well… Can we talk about what I wanted to talk about? The, um, gay thing. Of course you don’t have to’’, he rambled. ‘’It’s not always easy to talk about those things. I guess I’m just a bit curious as to what made you realise…’’

Louis shut him up with a kiss, because, yeah, he could do that now.

‘’I am more than happy to tell you’’, he told Harry.

‘’Really?’’ Harry seemed relieved and happy, yet did not want to push anything, and told Louis as much. ‘’I don’t want you to feel like I’m pressuring you to share.’’

‘’You’re sweet for saying that, but it’s really not a problem. I trust you and I want to tell you. Want me to tell you now?’’

Harry nodded in reply, spearing a baby potato on his fork. He looked at the bite, and then back up at Louis, realising the boy might not have eaten in a while.

‘’Did you want dinner first? If you’re hungry, you can eat. And then we can talk’’, Harry suggested.

Louis waved his comment off. ‘’It’s fine. I actually ate a bit before.’’

‘’Okay’’, Harry replied, eating another one of the small potatoes Niall had prepared. He then turned his full attention on Louis, giving the older boy a small nod as a sign that he was listening.

‘’Okay. Um, where to begin’’, Louis said. He laughed nervously. ‘’I guess I was always a bit different than most boys. I was very…’’ He trailed off, running his tongue over his teeth as he searched for the right word. ‘’… flamboyant. And whenever my mates talked about girls - which started about age eleven I reckon – I just kinda, zoned out? I never really had any interest in girls, at least not in a way that was beyond being friends. I thought girls were pretty, but that was it. There was no real attraction.

‘’And then Hannah came along. We got on great and a lot of people, my mum included, thought we had something going on, that we liked each other. I just went with it, I guess. So many people told me they could see how good we were together, that I just, I dunno, started believing it too. I mistook friendship for a crush. 

But then, I auditioned for The X Factor and I met this cute guy with amazing hair, lots of curls, you’d definitely like him…’’ Louis paused for a bit. Harry’s cheeks had turned red.

‘’You’re making me blush’’, he told Louis.

‘’Oh, so you’re assuming I’m talking about you, huh?’’ Louis teased him. ‘’Maybe I was talking about good ol’ Lima bean.’’

Harry snorted. ‘’A likely story. Liam definitely has great looks and a great personality, but I recall you two not hitting it off at first.’’

‘’Ah yes, that is true. Well, like I said, I met this cute boy and I was a goner from the get-go. He had these beautiful forest green eyes, and dimples and he just radiated joy. I spent a lot of nights after the day we met reminiscing every word that was said between us, every gaze, every touch.’’

Tears were stinging in his eyes. ‘’I was so afraid. It was like I somehow didn’t know a part of me anymore. I had never really been interested in girls, but… I had never thought of boys either. And then there was you all of a sudden and you took my breath away and made me question myself. 

‘’It was scary, and tiring, so, so tiring. I was dealing with so much at the time. The stress of The X Factor, missing my mum and sisters, all of my doubts about my sexuality, my future, _me_. It was horrible. The days were great. It was wonderful getting to know you four. To sing with you. But the nights… Awful and lonely, that’s what they were.’’

Louis let out a deep sigh. ‘’It was hard. But it was worth it. You were worth it. You still are. If I had not met you… I don’t know.’’ He used both hands to ruffle his hair. 

Louis was looking down at the ground. Harry did not want him to, so he lifted the boy’s chin with his index finger so he could look him in the eyes.

‘’Thank you. For telling me. I am so, so proud of you’’, he said, nothing but honesty and love in his words.

Louis sniffled as he wiped away one of the tears that had spilled. 

‘’And’’, Harry continued, ‘’I am so sorry that I wasn’t there for you. I am sorry that you felt so alone.’’

‘’You were there for me. But, there were a few things that I had to go through alone.’’

‘’I never want you to be alone again’’, Harry told him.

‘’Well, I won’t be. Now that I finally have the boy of my dreams, I am never letting him go.’’

Harry smiled at Louis. ‘’I’ll make sure to give Liam the memo.’’

‘’Oi, cheeky’’, Louis said, gently shoving him. ‘’You silly boy’’, he added before capturing Harry’s lips with his, the food long forgotten.

‘’Wait’’, Louis whispered against Harry’s soft, plump lips. Harry stole another peck before replying, ‘’What?’’

‘’Are we boyfriends now?’’ Louis asked.

‘’Um’’, Harry began, ‘’I’d love that, but if you don’t want to, that’s o-‘’ 

‘’Fuck yes to being boyfriends!’’ Louis exclaimed. He planted wet kisses all over Harry’s face at a rapid pace.

Harry laughed and tilted his head to slot his and Louis’ lips together again. ‘’I’m guessing that’s a yes then’’, he whispered. ‘’Can’t wait to show you off to everyone.’’

‘’Pal, please’’, Louis said, ‘’I’ll be doing all the showing off. I’ll have to take you to Doncaster to do just that.’’

‘’Did you just call me pal again?’’ Harry spluttered. ‘’After we kissed and became boyfriends? I want a divorce!’’ he said dramatically.

‘’No!’’ Louis took both of Harry’s hands in his own and laced their fingers together. ‘’I said I would never let you go and I intend to keep that promise.’’

Harry beamed at him. ‘’I would not want it any other way.’’


	16. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hii! It's been a while, but my finals are finally over and I can start writing again. This chapter's a bit short and mostly banter and jokes between ot5, but I hope you'll like it anyway. I'm going away for a short trip, and afterwards I'll get started on some longer chapter. Anygays, I wish you all an amazing day :)
> 
> Love,  
> J ♥
> 
> Jason Mraz - I Won't Give Up // Duncan Laurence - Arcade (this song doesn't fit the chapter, but I love ESC and I think the song is beautiful)

They went back to the cottage not long after that, Louis carrying Harry on his back, despite the latter’s protests.

‘’Lou, I’m too heavy for you.’’

‘’Shh, baby, your ankle needs to rest. And maybe I just like having you on me’’, Louis replied.

Harry let out a huff. ‘’I’d imagine another scenario with me on top of you.’’

‘’Do tell me more’’, Louis said, a smirk etched on his face.

‘’Perv’’, Harry shot at him. Louis gave his leg a gentle squeeze. ‘’You started it.’’

‘’You sound like a six-year-old’’, Harry told him. ‘’Suppose you do have the right height for it’’, he added, snickering.

‘’Ha ha ha, the height jokes. Never heard those before’’, Louis said sarcastically. 

Harry dropped a kiss on the crown of Louis’ head. ‘’I’m only kidding. I think you’re very sexy.’’  
Louis chuckled. ‘’I know you were. And I know I am’’, he said, causing Harry to laugh.

‘’We love a confident man!’’ Harry shouted out into the wintery air. ‘’Speaking of’’, he continued, ‘’it’s almost Christmas, _and your birthday_.’’

‘’What does that have to do with confident men?’’ Louis said on a laugh. He felt like his mouth would soon start to hurt from smiling so much, but he just couldn’t help himself. He was happy.

‘’Not much. Just wanted to talk about Christmas. And your birthday’’, Harry told him. ‘’We’ll finally have that three year age gap again. Kinda hot, innit?’’ He winked, although Louis, of course, couldn’t see it, as Harry was still on his back.

‘’Oh, so that’s a thing you like then?’’ Louis inquired. ‘’The me, um, being older thing and such.’’

‘’Maybe’’ Harry answered playfully.

Louis swallowed loudly. ‘’Cool, cool. Good to know, I guess. Anything else I need to know?’’

‘’Mm’’, Harry hummed as he tapped his chin while he thought. ‘’Not at the moment, though I’ll notify you if I think of anything.’’

His bold attitude then turned a bit more shy and reserved as he softly asked, ‘’What about you?’’

‘’Me?’’ Louis asked, placing one hand flat on his chest. With the movement, he had let go of one of Harry’s legs, causing them both to wobble. Louis quickly put his hand back on Harry and regained their balance.

‘’I’ve never really taken the time to discover what I like and don’t like.’’ Louis paused for a moment. ‘’That sounds so stupid’’, he then said, letting out a deep sigh as he walked through the thin layer of snow, small, white flurries sticking to his shoes. 

‘’That’s not stupid. It’s fine. We can figure it out together’’, Harry told him. As he realised what he’d just implied, he was quick to add, ‘’Of course not immediately. We can take our time.’’

‘’Of course’’, Louis repeated. ‘’Although’’, he ran his tongue over his front teeth, ‘’we do have to keep up with Zayn and Payno.’’

‘’Ah yes’’, Harry said, ‘’you make an excellent point, Mr. Tomlinson.’’

‘’Why thank you, Mr. Styles.’’

‘’Soon-to-be Mr. Tomlinson’’, Harry jokingly said, although there was a sliver of truth and hopefulness to it.

‘’We just got together a few hours ago. I wouldn’t write our wedding vows just yet. You can save your sweet words about my glorious arse for the future.’’

Harry faux-gasped. ‘’How did you know my vows were going to be all about your glorious arse?’’

‘’Come on, Harry. It’s my primary asset. Everybody knows it’’, Louis said. 

Harry smiled. ‘’That and about a million other wonderful things I like about you.’’ Louis was grateful Harry couldn’t see him blush. At least, not entirely, as his vision was only partially blocked.   
‘’Getting sappy on me, now, Styles?’’

‘’That’s me, the sappiest sap of all sappy saps’’, Harry said proudly.

‘’God, I need another boyfriend’’, Louis groaned, causing Harry to lift one eyebrow. ‘’That’s not what you said less than twenty minutes ago. I remember you saying something about never letting me go, if I’m correct.’’

‘’You’re not correct’’, Louis said simply, even though he knew his boyfriend – _boyfriend!_ – was right. He then noticed they’d arrived at the cottage and loosened his grip on Harry to let him go.

‘’Nooo’’, Harry droned. ‘’Don’t let me go. I’m comfy.’’

‘’I’m sorry, kitten’’, Louis apologised as he put Harry on the ground. The younger boy pouted. Louis pecked his lips to bring the smile he loved so much back on Harry’s face. 

He got goosebumps. Louis was fairly sure that wasn’t due to the cold.

They entered the house and rid themselves of their ski jackets and boots before going into the living room where the other three boys were already awaiting their presence.

‘’Well, well, well, look who are back’’, Niall said, doing nothing to hide the smirk on his face. Liam and Zayn were sat next to him on the couch, wearing matching expressions.

‘’A little birdie told me something very exciting about you two’’, Zayn said to Harry at Louis.

Louis put his hand on his heart to feign surprise. ‘’Zayn, you can talk to animals? Let me alert Disney immediately!’’ Zayn merely rolled his eyes.

‘’What exactly did Niall tell you?’’ Harry asked.

‘’He said you two fucked and you sprained your ankle in the act’’, Liam answered.

‘’That’s awfully inaccurate, but I’m not really surprised’’, Harry said. ‘’I injured myself during skiing, and Louis and I did not fuck.’’ He turned to Louis, who already had his eyes on him, and subtly mouthed, _Yet_. Shivers ran down Louis’ spine and he bit his lip to keep himself from giggling like a schoolgirl.

‘’Harry’s right’’, Louis said. ‘’We did not fuck. Unlike two other people in this room.’’

‘’Harry!’’ Niall exclaimed. ‘’You told Louis about us?’’

All four boys blinked at him, having gotten used to Niall’s constant stream of jokes in their time together.

‘’Well, F you too, then’’, Niall said, crossing his arms over his chest.

‘’As long as that’s not an actual offer, we’re good’’, Louis said.

Niall retorted by sticking his tongue out at him. 

‘’But really’’, Liam piped up, ‘’how did it happen?’’

‘’How did it happen?’’ Louis repeated mockingly. ‘’Um, Lee-yum, have you seen me? It is no wonder young Harold here fell head over heels. I mean, _he literally fell_. Which was actually pretty darn scary.’’

‘’Guilty as charged’’, Harry simply said.

‘’No, actually, it was more like this’’, Louis said, ‘’I met a very sweet, gentle, loveable boy not too long ago and I instantly fell in love with his curls, his dimples, and, most importantly, lovely soul.’’

Harry shyly smiled as he rested his head on Louis shoulder after having given him a soft kiss on the cheek.

‘’I was not expecting that’’, Niall announced truthfully. ‘’And I might cry.’’ Liam nodded. Even Zayn looked affected by the boys’ affection.

Harry burst out laughing all of a sudden, startling all the other boys who had fallen into silence.

‘’What?’’ Zayn asked, an amused smile playing on his lips.

Harry had to collect himself first before he could properly answer. ‘’I…’’ Another loud laugh that was not unlike a sound a hyena would produce. ‘’I just realised that if Zayn and Liam were to get married, and Zayn would take Liam’s last name, he would be…’’ A hiccup. It was hard for him to get the words to leave his mouth as he was still doubled over. ‘’Zayn Payne!’’ he finally managed to get out.

‘’Oh, for God’s sake’’, Zayn muttered.

‘’Hey!’’ Louis said, voice indignant. ‘’That’s my boyfriend, you wanker.’’

‘’Boyfriend!?’’ Niall, Liam and Zayn shouted in unison.

‘’Yes, boyfriend’’, Louis said. ‘’We are boyfriends now.’’ He could not look or sound any more proud even if he tried. 

‘’Well, I gotta buy a vowel, because O – my God’’, Liam said. Harry was sent into another fit of laughter. A good ol’ quote from his favourite sitcom was something he could appreciate.

Zayn had left the couch and was now standing next to Louis. ‘’I’m proud of you, Lou, you sly dog.’’

‘’I am proud of me too’’, Louis said to him with a wink. ‘’Just kidding. Well, no, I’m actually proud of me, but I am proud of you too. Very proud.’’

Next to them, Harry was practically choking of laughter.

‘’I thought of another one!’’ he said.

‘’Please do not share’’, Zayn said.

‘’If Zayn and Liam, you know, canoodle, then _Zayn_ is in _Payne_ ’’, he said enthusiastically. ‘’Get it? Pain, Payne, it’s wordplay.’’

‘’Yes, and it’s very cute’’, Louis told him with a fond look in his eyes.

‘’It’s also not how me and Li do things, but aight’’, Zayn casually said.

‘’Well, now we know who tops’’, Louis said.

‘’Wait!’’ Niall shouted. ‘’Are we really not going to talk about how Harry called sex canoodling?’’

The boys said nothing for a few seconds as they thought about it.

‘’Nah’’, Louis said. ‘’So, how big is Liam?’’

‘’Oh my God’’, Liam groaned.

‘’Gotta buy yourself another vowel now’’, Harry joked.

‘’I am leaving this family!’’ Niall declared loudly, before, as per tradition, he brought them all into a group hug.

‘’So’’, he whispered as they were huddled together, ‘’I’m actually getting curious myself now. How big is Liam?’’

That, of course, marked the end of their embrace.

‘’I’m gonna call Mum’’, Louis announced before taking off to the bedroom.

‘’Me too’’, Harry said.

‘’And what about you two?’’ Niall asked to Liam and Zayn. The pair gave one another a look.

‘’We’re gonna’’, Liam said, ‘’you, know…

‘’… Canoodle.’’

‘’Yep’’, Niall muttered to himself as the others cleared out the room, ‘’definitely leaving this family.’’ The smile on his face, however, contradicted his words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading♥


	17. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back? Back again.  
> Hello everyone! I hope you like this new chapter, as it is quite important to me. I almost wanted to add, ''Merry Christmas'', but I keep forgetting it's freaking June, haha, what is this story doing to me?  
> Anywayyyy. Expect some mature content soon (not this chapter tho) ;)  
> Have a wonderful day!  
> Love, J
> 
> Jingle Bells - by literally anyone and everyone

Harry woke up early on December twenty-fourth. It was Christmas’ Eve, and, more importantly, Louis’ birthday. For weeks he had been contemplating what to give the older boy. From new football shorts to a new Xbox, there was not a single gift option he hadn’t thought about.

In the end, he had managed to purchase something he thought Louis would like. Now, he was nervous and unsure again. What if it was not enough? Sure, it was thoughtful. But was it thoughtful enough? When he had bought his birthday gift, Louis had still been his mate, not yet his _boyfriend_.  
It was Harry’s first time celebrating the birthday of a person he was romantically involved with, and he had no clue what was expected of him.

That was why, at seven in the morning, Harry slipped out of the bedroom he shared with Louis and into the kitchen to prepare a lovely breakfast – but not before taking a few seconds to admire the soft, peaceful look on Louis’ face as he slept.

Harry decided to go all out – pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, sausages, toast, and more. They had plenty of food in the cupboards and fridge, since staying in the same residence as Niall Horan meant you ought to constantly have an abundance of food stocked away in your kitchen.

I took him an hour of slicing, dicing, heating, cooking, baking and re-heating – since he made the mistake of preparing the sausages first, which, unfortunately, had got cold as he was preparing the rest of Louis’ feast. He generously loaded up a plate of food and placed it on a tray, along with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. 

Harry then returned to the bedroom, carrying the tray with the utmost care so he wouldn’t spill a drop or a bite. 

As expected, Louis was still asleep when Harry entered the room. His snores clucked through the room. Harry chuckled fondly as he walked over to Louis, sitting next to him on the bed, the tray still in his hands.

‘’Wake up, Boo Bear’’, Harry softly said. The words startled Louis, who practically jumped out of bed. Harry barely managed to keep the glass of orange juice upright. A lone sausage rolled off the plate and fell onto the floor.

‘’Shit, Harry, you scared me!’’

‘’Oops?’’ Harry said. Louis snorted. ‘’Well, hi to you too then.’’

‘’Um, happy birthday, Boo’’, Harry said as he offered the tray to Louis, whose eyes widened to saucers as he took in the sight of Harry with all of the food. He then looked to the stray sausage on the floor.

‘’I ruined your sausage’’, Louis said dryly.

‘’Won’t be the last time’’, Harry said with a wink.

Louis faux-gasped and slapped Harry’s arm. ‘’Harry, you filthy dog!’’ 

He looked back at all of the food before directing his gaze at Harry. ‘’But, thank you so much. This all looks and smells incredible. I can’t believe you made me all this, you are literally the best.’’

Louis leaned forward to peck Harry on the lips. The green-eyed boy blushed. ‘’It’s gonna go cold if you don’t eat, so dig in.’’

Louis nodded. He speared a piece of pancake and held it up to Harry’s mouth. ‘’C’mon’’, he said, ‘’we’re sharing.’’

‘’No, no, it’s fine. This is yours. I’ll eat after. There’s still plenty in the kitchen. If the other boys haven’t already found it, that is.’’

Louis shook his head. ‘’Nope, I’m feeding you, and you’re feeding me. It’s romantic.’’ Harry could not disagree with that logic and let himself be fed the bite of pancake.

Next, he scooped up a bit of the scrambled eggs and offered it to Louis, who let out a loud moan as the taste of the eggs filled his mouth.

‘’Fuck, Harry, that is so good.’’

They continued to feed each other tiny bites of food. Louis even tried to fit an entire sausage in Harry’s mouth, claiming it to be ‘’for scientific purposes only’’. Harry, of course, did not buy one bit of it, but fit the damn thing in his mouth like a champ.

It did not take long for them to polish off the entirety of the plate. 

‘’That was delicious, Haz, thank you so much’’, Louis told him sincerely.

‘’Any time’’, Harry replied, smiling at the praise. Louis raised one eyebrow. ‘’Any time? Really? Definitely gonna keep you to that.’’

Harry rolled his eyes at that, although he knew he would gladly make Louis a brekkie like this one every day for the rest of their lives as long as he would still be able to call Louis his boyfriend.

‘’Can I give you my present now?’’ Harry asked, nerves fluttering in his stomach again.

Louis gave him a stern look. ‘’You didn’t need to get me anything at all. You already made me all this delicious food. It’s too much.’’

‘’It’s not’’, Harry told him. ‘’Besides, I’m expecting lots of kisses in return.’’

‘’Oh really? I thought _you_ ’d be kissing _me_ , since it’s my birthday and all’’, Louis said. 

‘’How about we both give each other kisses and I give you your gift right now?’’ Harry suggested. Louis nodded in agreement. ‘’But first’’, he said, puckering his lips as a sign for Harry to kiss him, which he did.

Harry then walked over to his side of the room and started rummaging through his suitcase to find a small white envelope. He sat back down next to Louis and handed him the paper container.

‘’What’s this?’’ Louis asked him.

Harry giggled. ‘’Open it, silly, and you’ll find out.’’ He fidgeted as Louis opened the envelope.

Louis’ eyes widened as soon as he discovered what was inside.

‘’Harry, is this-?’’ Louis began to ask, but stopped as he fished out two flat pieces of paper – concert tickets.

‘’It’s, um, to go see The Script. Together’’, Harry explained. ‘’We were already at a The Script concert at the same time, but now we can actually go see them together. I thought it would be nice.’’

He still felt a little nervous, trying to gauge Louis’ reaction, but his worries were proven unnecessary when he was pulled close by the Doncaster lad and his face was suddenly peppered with feather light kisses.

‘’Thank. You. So. So. Much’’, Louis said in between kisses. He would not stop kissing Harry until he had covered every inch of his face.

‘’It’s not much’’, Harry uttered, but Louis wasn’t having any of that. ‘’Harry, this is the most thoughtful gift anyone’s ever given me. I can’t wait to go to that concert with you. I still can’t believe we were both there that day…’’

‘’Me neither’’, Harry told him. ‘’I’m glad you like the present.’’

‘’Like? I bloody love it, H. Thank you, baby’’, Louis said. Harry tried not to squeal like a schoolgirl at the term of endearment. He was _cool_ and _unbothered_. Ha! _As if_.

Louis planted his lips firmly on Harry’s. At the feeling of a swipe of his boyfriend's tongue, Harry opened his mouth, just as the bedroom door opened.

‘’Tommo! The birthday boy’’, Niall greeted jovially. He entered the room, along with Liam and Zayn.

‘’We were kinda having a moment here’’, Louis said, but smiled anyway.

‘’Not my relationship, not my problem’’, Niall answered as he joined him and Harry on the bed, telling Harry to ‘’scoot over’’.

‘’Great muffins, by the way, H’’, Niall whispered in Harry’s ear. Harry looked at him. ‘’I take it you three have eaten everything?’’ 

‘’Yep’’, Niall said, popping the ‘p’.

Zayn and Liam sat down on the single bed as well. There was too little place for so many people, but Louis loved how cozy the situation was. On his birthday, his Mum used to make him breakfast on bed as well. His younger sisters would join him in his room and they’d all jump up and down on his bed before cuddling up to one another. He loved big families. Wanted one of his own when he was older.

Zayn had picked up the concert tickets. ‘’Oh, sick!’’ he said, nodding approvingly. 

The boys all had a present for Louis as well. Niall got him the newest FIFA game, Liam offered him a signed CD of Louis’ favourite group, The Fray, and Zayn had made a graffiti painting of the birthday boy. It was pure art. Zayn had many talents, and spray paint was definitely one of them. 

‘’I was thinking what to get your narcissistic arse, so I figured you would like a portrait of yourself’’, Zayn said, his words not containing any harshness.

Louis laughed. ‘’You’re right. I do like it. A lot, to be quite honest. And with an arse like mine, how could I not be narcissistic?’’

Niall crept under the covers next to Louis and scooted close to him to lay his arm over his friends body in a half-spoon. ‘’I’m stealing your man, Styles’’, he said to Harry, sending him an over-the-top wink.

‘’Ooh, I’m scared’’, Harry replied, playing along. ‘’You should be’’, Louis quipped, ‘’I’m a ten. Plus.’’

‘’Maybe you should go after Victoria’’, Zayn told Harry. ‘’Make the old Nialler jealous.’’

‘’You’re older than me’’, Niall shot back. He turned to Harry, still cuddled to Louis. ‘’And, go ahead, but I don’t think it will work. I have a feeling she’s starting to like me.’’

‘’Ew, no offence, but no vaginas for me’’, Harry said truthfully. ‘’Niall, you can keep your girl, and I’ll stick with this drama queen’’, he continued, nodding in Louis’ direction.

‘’Drama queen!?’’ Louis exclaimed. ‘’I am offended!’’

‘’Proved his point’’, Liam muttered. ‘’But, Niall, when are you seeing Victoria again?’’

‘’In two days. We’re going hiking. I initially suggested going for a film or summat, but she laughed in my face and told me we’re lucky to even have cell reception here.’’

‘’I like her already’’, Zayn said approvingly. Liam and Louis laughed, while Niall pouted.

Harry smiled and felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in his stomach upon seeing all his friends together on the bed, laughing, enjoying their time with one another. 

Right now, everything seemed to be right. Liam was gently giving Zayn a kiss on the cheek, causing the latter’s features to soften instantly. Niall was soon going on a date with the girl he’d come to like, a girl that did not like him for his fame or his money, but who was genuinely interested in the boy behind the One Direction image.

And then there was Louis and himself. Every time he shot as much as a quick glance at Louis, butterflies erupted in his stomach. After they had got together, Louis had called his Mum. She could not have been more supportive of the situation. She had shed many tears during the Skype session, and, despite him claiming otherwise, Louis had shed one or two himself.

In the meantime, Harry had called Anne to share the big news with her. Gemma was there, too. It resulted in the three of them dancing wildly together as they sung _Jingle_ Bells. Not the most fitting song for the situation, but they had always been a weird family. And hey, it was winter time after all.

Near the end of the conversation, Robin had walked in, and Harry had told him everything, from his sexuality to his newfound relationship with Louis. Robin’s answer had been short, but sweet nevertheless.

‘’Proud of you, son’’, he told Harry. 

Things got awkward really fast after that.

‘’Son, I know you can’t get pregnant, but you still need to use condoms.’’

Suffice to say Harry had been quick to end the conversation after that, claiming Liam needed him for something, which had been a lie. In reality, he and Louis had spent the next two hours cuddling and talking to each other.

Life was great at the moment.

-

The boys had contemplated going over to Clara’s for dinner, but, in the end, they decided they preferred to celebrate both Louis’ birthday and Christmas Eve with just the five of ‘em. Harry figured he’d go see Clara the next day to wish her a lovely Christmas.

For now, he was more than content to just lounge on the couch with his four mates while they all inhaled food and watched crappy Christmas films. They’d paused the second film when Niall suddenly remembered they had not sung Louis any birthday songs yet.

Much to Louis’ dismay, they ended up singing five, all in weird, high-pitched voiced. They all knew Louis secret loved every bit of it.

And then there was the gift exchange debacle. Zayn, Liam and Harry claimed it was tradition to exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, while Louis and Niall were pleading to do it the morning after. In the end, Louis got to decide, since he, like he himself said, was ‘’the birthday boy’’.

‘’Fuck yes, losers. It’s Louis’ birthday, so he gets to decide’’, Niall exclaimed, already pumping his fist in the air for victory.

‘’Well, um, Harry’s my boyfriend…’’ Louis started to say.

Niall lowered his fist. ‘’What?’’

‘’So let’s do it tonight’’, Louis said.

‘’Again: what?’’ Niall said, ignoring the other three boys’ victorious cheers. ‘’You literally just went against your own will. And mine too, which is obviously more important.’’

‘’Yeah, but you don’t give me kisses, so there’s that’’, Louis argued.

‘’Bro, I will fucking kiss you right here, right now’’, Niall said, already leaning forward.

‘’I wouldn’t’’, Harry growled. He had quit cheering and was now giving Niall a warning look. Niall held up his hands in defeat. ‘’Fine.’’

Louis waved both of his hands in front of his face. ‘’Not gonna lie, Harry, you being jealous is kind of turning me on right now.’’

Harry blushed. Zayn face-palmed himself and said, ‘’So, the gifts?’’

The gift exchange did not took much time, as the boys were eager to find out what they had received. Upon getting a gift in their hands, they immediately ripped of all the wrapping paper.

Only Harry and Louis’ gifts for each other remained. 

Harry gave Louis his gift first, which was neatly wrapped in silver paper featuring tiny reindeers. He’d spotted the paper in the supermarket a few weeks before the trip, and he instantly got excited to use it.

Unlike before, Louis now took both care and time to unwrap the present, revealing a photobook. He opened it to the first page to see a photo of himself from the time he was still a baby. He was in his Mum’s arms and he was smiling up at her while she was looking down at him with nothing but love in her eyes and smile.

The next few pages were all photos of him and Jay, and Louis did his best not to tear up. As he flipped through the pages, he saw photos of himself through the years, of his little sisters, of his childhood dog. It ended with a photo of him with his four bandmates.

Harry scratched his neck as he told Louis, ‘’A few months ago, you said you often felt homesick, so I made you this to take with you when we’re on tour. So your family is with you at all time.’’

Louis’ plan to not start weeping was in danger as he listened to what Harry was saying.

‘’I take back what I said this morning’’, Louis said. ‘’ _This_ is the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever got. Thank you, Harry.’’

They shared a short, sweet kiss, deciding to keep it G-rated while the other lads were still there. Although, if they were being honest, the other probably wouldn’t mind. Might enjoy it, even. Especially Niall. Even more now that Zayn and Liam were kissing as well, stopping every once in a while to come up for air and to share another one of their googly-eyed looks.

‘’Now my gift’’, Louis announced, clapping his hands. The gift wasn’t wrapped as nicely as Harry’s – it looked more like a lump – but it’s the thought that counts. Louis had put in a lot of effort, which Harry appreciated.

He felt a little nervous as he tore off the paper. He’d always been awkward with receiving presents. Especially when it was Louis’ he was presented with.

Soon, there were four bottles of nail polish – one containing lilac polish, one black, one blue and one pink.

He looked at Louis, who cleared his throat.

‘’Remember that interview we did a little while ago? Where they asked to paint your nails?’’

Harry nodded.

‘’You refused at first, but then you gave in, and afterwards you told me you liked it. Having your nails all pretty like that. That it made you happy. 

‘’You never wore it again after that. You said you weren’t meant to, anyway, because it’s for girls. You said others wouldn’t approve. Well, I don’t think so. If it makes you happy, you should wear it, no matter what anybody says. So, I hope that you were these. Because, I support you. And I want you to feel as happy and as pretty as possible. You deserve it. Truly.’’

‘’You’re too good to me’’, Harry said as he lunged forward to embrace Louis. Louis could hear him sniffing softly as he was being pulled tightly to the other boy’s body. 

‘’I mean it, Haz. Every word of it.’’

‘’And we don’t care if you like nail polish or not’’, Liam chimed in. ‘’So what if it’s a little girly? We support you no matter what.’’

Harry looked up at him. ‘’Really?’’ he asked.

Liam nodded furiously. Niall did too. ‘’Yeah, and you’re _Harry Styles_ , you can pull it off’’, he added.

‘’Whatever makes you happy’’, Zayn piped up. Harry’s heart felt like it could burst with happiness and love for these four boys.

‘’Thanks, guys’’, he said. ‘’It means the world to me.’’

He turned to Louis. ‘’Will you do it with me? Like, will you colour your nails with me? I’m- I don’t want to do it alone yet.’’

Louis wasn’t a big fan of nail polish if he himself were to be the one using it. He’d never wanted to paint his nails. Yet, he didn’t even hesitate for one second before saying, ‘’Yes’’. Whatever he needed to do to make his boy feel safe and happy, he’d do it. 

Harry gave him that soft smile that seemed to be reserved for him.

‘’Merry Christmas, H’’, Louis whispered to him.

‘’Merry Christmas, Lou. And happy birthday’’, Harry added. 

A happy birthday it was, indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudo's and comments are appreciated a lot :)  
> Have an amazing day!


	18. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hii lovelies <3  
> I honestly can't believe I wrote this chapter, I feel so awkward. Please bear with me, I've never written anything like this before. I really hope you like it anyway.
> 
> Weezer - Island in the Sun // 5SOS - Easier

The boys stayed up late that night for their joint birthday-Christmas party. They ate until the mere thought of food make them stick to their stomachs, while they alternated between playing card games and watching Christmas-themed films.

Harry and Louis weren’t back in their shared bedroom before the clock struck three in the morning. The five of them had agreed it was time to hit the sack, as they wanted to be up early the next day to enjoy as much as possible of the holidays.

‘’I should be tired, but I’m really not’’, Louis announced as he sat down on his bed. ‘’Like, not even a bit.’’

Harry sat down next to him. ‘’Me neither.’’ He rested his head on Louis’ shoulder.

‘’So, I was thinking about what you got me’’, he said. ‘’It’s really lovely. You’re lovely. I must’ve done something really good in a past life to deserve you.’’

Louis tilted his head a bit so he could drop a kiss on the top of Harry’s head. ‘’Hey’’, he whispered, ‘’I’m the lucky one here.’’

Harry lifted his head to look at him. ‘’Could we, um, maybe try it now? The nail thing?’’

Louis gave him another kiss. ‘’Of course we can. What colour would you like, darling?’’

Harry retrieved the four bottles of nail polish, studying each of them with the same care. He ended up choosing the lilac one for himself.

‘’Good choice’’, Louis told him. ‘’I myself will go with the blue one.’’

‘’It matches your eyes’’, Harry said on a giggle. He unscrewed the bottle with the blue polish moved his body so that he was now sitting in front of Louis instead of next to him. He held out one hand for Louis to take.

Louis placed the palm of his hand on Harry’s and spread his fingers so it would be easier for Harry to paint them. With gentle, careful strokes made by Harry, Louis’ nails turned a light shade of blue that indeed resembled the colour of his eyes.

Louis was not focused on his nails whatsoever, though, as he was too occupied taking it the happy look that had descended upon Harry’s features. He radiated joy as he painted Louis’ nails. Louis know that his happiness did not only stem from the varnish, no, it came from a bigger place. A place in which Harry had people around him who supported him no matter his sexuality or his preferences concerning his appearance.

Management would never allow Harry to wear make-up in public, but here, in their snow-covered cottage in Austria, no one would tell him what he could and could not do. Here he was encouraged to be himself. That was the main reason for his happiness.

Louis could not bring himself to look away, even after Harry was finished.

‘’What?’’ Harry asked self-consciously as he picked up on Louis’ gaze. ‘’Do I have something on my face?’’

Louis shook his head. ‘’No, ‘s just… Never lose the sparkle that’s in your eyes and the smile that’s on your face right now, okay? Promise me.’’

‘’I promise’’, Harry said, his grin stretching even wider.

‘’Good’’, Louis said. He took the bottle with the lilac varnish and opened it. His work was not as neat as Harry’s, if the smudges on the flesh of the younger boy’s fingers was anything to go by, but Harry complimented him on it anyway. Sometimes going outside the lines was the beginning of a masterpiece.

Louis took both of Harry’s hands in his and brought them to his lips.

‘’Never let them change you.’’ 

Harry did not need to ask who Louis meant by ‘’them’’.

‘’I won’t. They’ll never change us. None of us.’’

That answer seemed to satisfy Louis. He leaned in to kiss Harry’s lips. A pinkish tint covered the cheeks of both boys as the kiss grew more intense.

Louis gently rested his hands on Harry’s waist, while Harry’s right hand on Louis’ neck, so he could play with the ends of soft, brown hair. His other hand took its place, curling around Louis’ left hip.

Their lips brushed together a few times, before more pressure was added. Louis let out a soft sigh as their lips connected again.

Harry’s lips were plump and cherry red and Louis had spent every moment since they met wondering what it would be like to kiss those cherry lips.

Louis paused the kiss to whisper into Harry’s mouth, ‘’You taste so sweet.’’

Harry’s chuckle was swallowed by Louis pressing his lips firm to Harry’s and swiping his tongue across his lips. 

Taking the cue, Harry opened his mouth for Louis to slip his tongue in. Fingernails dug into his left hip as Harry’s lips sucked kisses to his mouth.

In unison, they tilted their heads – in opposite directions – and opened their mouths wider to cater to a heavier kiss.

Harry could feel himself being directed downwards, gently being laid down on the mattress, and he soon found Louis straddling his hips.

A smirk was on Louis’ face as he leaned down to continue their make-out session. Harry felt soft fingers touching the skin underneath his sweater and he held in a laugh. Sue him for having sensitive skin.

Louis could not keep his eyes open any longer and Harry’s had long shut. He ground down and rolled his hips against Harry, both boys rapidly growing hard in their pants.

Louis pressed one more hard kiss to his boyfriend’s mouth, before panting, ‘’Off. Take this off.’’ He tugged at the bottom of Harry’s shirt.

Harry pulled the shirt over his head, but it got stuck beneath his chin. Louis chuckled and helped him take the item of clothing off.

‘’You too’’, Harry said, referring to Louis' shirt that was still clinging to his body.

‘’So hot’’, Louis breathed out as he took off his shirt. ‘’Fuck, H, you’re so beautiful.’’ He left a trail of kisses down Harry’s stomach, that had just the slightest layer of pudge. He had already lost most of his baby fat.

Louis placed his kisses downwards, ending the spot where Harry’s trousers met his hips. The older lad placed his fingers on Harry’s belt buckle.

‘’This okay?’’ he softly asked, not wanting to push any limits.

‘’Yes, yes, of course. _Please_ ’’, Harry told him, the last word a plea to take things further.

‘’We can stop at any time you want’’, Louis assured him.

Harry nodded. ‘’I… I, um, don’t think I want to stop, but thanks anyway. Same goes for you, of course.’’

Louis smiled. ‘’Of course’’, he repeated. He undid the buckle and unbuttoned the two buttons before tugging the trousers off Harry’s gangly legs.

He pushed himself up on the bed to level his face with Harry’s, puckering his lips for another sweet kiss.

Their mouths moved together, their tongues were teasing, and Louis brought his hand to Harry’s pants. He slowly started rubbing Harry through the layer of fabric. 

Harry let out the softest moan, the sound barely audible for Louis. It spurred him on to keep on squeezing and massaging Harry’s still-covered cock to full hardness, all the while keeping his lips connected to the other boy’s. Sounds of fabric sliding over skin filled the bedroom.

After about two minutes, Harry’s hips started stuttering.

‘’Fuck, Lou- I’m…’’ 

Louis gave him one more hard, deep rub over his pants before retracting his hand from Harry’s large bulge.

‘’What do you want, baby?’’ he asked.

Harry bit his lip. 

‘’You’’, he answered. ‘’Want to suck you for a bit, if you’ll let me.’’

Harry phrased the question like the blowjob was more of a present for himself than for Louis. Like Louis would deny him. 

Louis had been dreaming of kissing those plump lips of Harry for ages. But, that does not mean he has never imagined what other, _sinful_ things those lips could do.

‘’Fuck. Of course I’ll let you’’, Louis quickly said.

Harry rolled them over, so that he was now the one on top. With an almost devilish smirk he slid down Louis’ body. In passing, he suckled on one of Louis’ nipples, while tugging at the other one with his hand.

Louis clenched his hands tightly as he tried to suppress a particularly loud moan.

Harry removed his mouth from Louis’ nipple. 

‘’Don’t’’, he told Louis. ‘’Wanna hear you. Every single sound that leaves your mouth.’’ His pupils had dilated and his irises had turned a shade of green that was darker than usual.

‘’Shit, yeah, sure. Wanna be loud for you’’, Louis barely managed to reply. It had been so long since he had even done as much as masturbate, and he was so, _so_ turned on.

‘’Fuck, Harry’’, he moaned out as Harry bit down on his nipple.

‘’That’s better’’, Harry told him. ‘’But you could still be louder.’’

A long whine left Louis’ mouth that probably could be heard by the other rooms. But they weren’t on Louis’ mind. It was all Harry. And this sudden confidence that had appeared in Harry as soon as they had fallen into bed.

Harry slid down further, occasionally licking or nibbling on a bit of Louis’ flesh, until he reached the area of his groin. He wasted no time in undoing Louis’ trousers and tugging them off along with his pants. He tossed them away, not caring where the items went. He was a boy on a mission. A mission to pleasure his boyfriend.

He watched Louis’ meaty cock in awe. It was a bit shorter than his own, but it was thicker. Harry licked his lips as he gripped the shaft.

Harry darted his tongue out to give the tip a few kitten licks, before licking a fat stripe up the underside of Louis’ cock. 

Louis shuddered. ‘’That feels good’’, he said, letting out a heavenly sigh.

Harry preened at the compliment. He had sucked off one person before Louis, but that only lasted one minute, seeing him and his partner were still teenagers. Harry had liked it. But, this was different. Better. Everything’s better when you’re with someone you genuinely care about.

He suckled on the head of Louis’ cock.

‘’Never stop doing that’’, Louis croaked out.

‘’Never?’’ Harry repeated. ‘’Not even to do this?’’ 

He fit all of Louis’ cock in his mouth in one downward movement.

‘’Ohmygod’’, was all Louis could say while so many sensations were flooding his brain.

Harry’s head bobbed up and down, always taking some time to give extra attention to the head on the upward motions.

His jaw had begun to feel a bit sore, so Harry alternated between sucking Louis and jerking him off. His fist worked over Louis’ cock fast.

‘’Haz, Hazza, you gotta stop doing that soon or-‘’

Harry took Louis’ cock in his mouth one more time and took him all the way down, savouring the bitter taste of the precome that had begun to bubble out of the slit a while ago.

Louis pulled Harry up. The latter pouted.

‘’You didn’t let me fully taste you.’’

‘’That’s something for later’’, Louis told him. ‘’I, um, wanted to ask you how far you wanted to take this? I’m, ugh, I’m so awkward with this. It’s all so new to me. I’ve never… slept with a lad before.’’

‘’Have you watched gay porn before?’’ Harry asked. 

‘’I have. I know the theory behind it all, I just… What if I’m not good in practice?’’

Louis looked truly concerned. Harry placed his hand on Louis’ wrist and soothingly drew circles on Louis’ skin.

‘’You will be amazing, Lou. Even kissing you has me in seventh heaven. A week ago, hell, even a few days ago, I would never have imagined I could actually have you like this. I’m happy with whatever you’re willing to give me. And I never want you to doubt yourself.

‘’If you want to take the next step, I’m all for it, and I’m sure I’ll love every second of it. If you want to wait, that’s fine too. I’m a happy camper either way’’, Harry finished.

Louis quirked one eyebrow. ‘’You’re a happy camper?’’ he repeated.

‘’Yes’’, Harry answered. ‘’I’ve already set up my tent near your cock.’’

Louis pulled him in for a kiss. ‘’Fuck, you’re so weird’’, he said before their lips met.

‘’And I want to’’, he continued as he pulled back. ‘’Take the next step, I mean.’’

‘’Okay’’, Harry replied, voice gentle. ‘’How do you want to do this?’’

‘’What do you prefer?’’ Louis asked him.

‘’Doesn’t matter’’, Harry said, and he meant it. He wanted Louis to be comfortable and to enjoy this experience as much as possible.

‘’I think I’d prefer to be on top’’, Louis told him.

Harry smiled and pecked his lips. ‘’Good. I prefer bottoming anyway’’, he said with a wink. He had only ever slept with someone once, with a German boy he met while they were both on vacation in Turkey. He had bottomed then, too.

‘’Do you have condoms and lube?’’

Louis nodded. He left the bed in and rummaged through the backpack he’d brought. He found the items on the bottom of his bag.

‘’Tada’’, he said as he threw the stuff on the bed. Harry chuckled.

‘’I guess you have a long, busy night planned for us, huh?’’

There were five packets of condoms on the bed, along with a nearly-full travel sized bottle of strawberry-flavoured lube.

Louis laid down next to Harry and looked into his eyes. ‘’Do you want to prep yourself? Or, I can do it if you want me to.’’

‘’I’d like for you to do it’’, Harry said, cheeks already flushed in anticipation of what was awaiting him.

Louis moved down the bed and got rid of Harry’s pants. He then picked up the bottle and uncapped it. He coated his fingers in a generous amount of lube, also drizzling some of the liquid on Harry’s now-exposed hole.

Louis swallowed as he took in the sight in front of him. He couldn’t say he ever saw something so enticing. He would have to ask Harry if he could rim him some other time.

He spread Harry’s arse cheeks and circled his hole with one of his lube-coated fingers. Harry let out a gasp at the touch. Yep, Louis would definitely have to rim him later.

Louis pressed his finger harder against Harry’s arse, putting enough pressure to get the tip of his finger to slip inside.

‘’Still okay?’’ Louis asked.

Harry nodded. His body was flushed, and he was already panting, even though he did not even have a full finger up his arse yet.

Louis slowly sunk his finger further inside. It was mind-bogglingly warm and Harry was tight. 

He started pumping the digit in and out of Harry’s hole, the boy’s pants increasing as the speed of Louis’ finger did too.

Five minutes passed before Louis felt like Harry was stretched enough to add a second finger. He was taking his sweet time opening his boy up, for he did not want to hurt Harry later. He also did not mind taking in all of the lovely sounds Harry was producing.

Louis slipped in the second finger and started scissoring the two digits until Harry was ready to accommodate the third finger.

By the time Louis was done prepping him, Harry was a panting, sweating mess.

‘’I’m ready, Lou. Please, I need more.’’

He reached for one of the condom packets and tore off the wrapper with his teeth, practically tossing the condom at Louis.

Louis slid the condom onto his length and lined himself up with Harry’s hole. Before he breached it, he brought his lips up to Harry’s.

Harry leaned in for a kiss, but Louis pulled back just slightly.

‘’Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?’’ he asked.

Harry’s cheeks turned even redder. ‘’Only a thousand times’’, he answered.

‘’Well, you deserve to be told just that a _million_ times every minute of every day.’’

‘’I don’t think there are enough seconds in one minute to do that.’’

Louis chuckled. ‘’No, I suppose not. But I’ll try anyway.’’

He kissed Harry’s cheek. ‘’So.’’ Then his other cheek. ‘’Freaking.’’ Both of his cheekbones. ‘’Beautiful.’’ He pressed kisses to Harry’s jawline, his forehead, and the tip of his nose, before ending with a kiss on his lips.

Their lips sucked lazily together as Louis pressed forward, the tip of his cock entering Harry’s hole.

‘’Oh my God’’, Harry moaned at the intrusion.

‘’You’re not turning into Janice Hosenstein, now, are you?’’ Louis asked, suddenly more chatty than before.

‘’Ugh, thinking about a woman will make me go soft’’, Harry panted out. ‘’ _Fuck_ ’’, he so eloquently added as Louis pressed in further.

‘’More, please’’, Harry pleaded desperately.

‘’You’re even polite in bed’’, Louis stated. He pulled out a bit before slamming back in. ‘’Why is that turning me on so much?’’

Harry’s head was tipped back in pleasure. ‘’Faster, Louis.’’ He then added, '' _Please_ ''.

Louis started pushing in and out at a higher pace. His hips snapped backwards and then forwards again with such force that Harry was shuffled up the bed by a few centimeters.

Louis pried his lips open with his tongue as he kept thrusting into Harry’s hole. His hands, that were resting on Harry’s hips, were now digging into the skin.

Their eyes were locked as Harry tightened his grip on Louis’ cock. Louis let out a loud moan at the closer contact.

Louis shifted his hips just so that, for the next thrust, the tip of his cock nudged Harry’s prostate.

Harry let out a loud sob that slipped into Louis’ mouth as they kissed.

Beads of sweat were littered all over their bodies. Harry lifted his hips to meet every single one of Louis’ downward thrusts, causing his prostate to be stimulated every few seconds.

‘’I’m close’’, Harry spluttered out, his hips now moving faster and without his control.

‘’Me too’’, Louis told him, picking up the pace even more. He linked his pinky finger with Harry’s. The younger boy then laced both of their hands together.

‘’Louis?’’ he asked, voice soft. He was so confident before, but now he looked vulnerable and small.

‘’Yes?’’ Louis said, his tone matching Harry’s.

‘’You’re beautiful too. The most beautiful’’, Harry said sincerely.

Louis’ thrusts stopped for a bit as he kissed him, nibbling on Harry’s bottom lip for a few seconds before releasing it. ‘’That title is already taken by you, love, but thank you.’’

He continued rolling his hips, as Harry did too, as they were approaching their climaxes. He took Harry’s cock in his hand, their eyes still locked, and started jerking him off in time with his thrusts, his hips jackhammering into Harry’s hole.

‘’Shit, Louis, I’m-‘’

Harry released all over Louis’ fist and his own stomach, while Louis kept pushing in and out, chasing his own orgasm.

He followed soon, shooting his load into the condom. He and Harry panted into each other’s open mouth as they came down from their intense high.

Louis carefully pulled out and forced himself off the bed to get a wet cloth to clean himself and his boyfriend up. He gently wiped the come from Harry’s stomach and his own fist, but not before sneaking a quick taste of Harry.

It was bitter, yet also somehow sweet? It was Harry and Louis loved it.

He threw the cloth on the floor of their en suite, and returned to Harry, slipping under the sheets next to him.

Harry rested his head on Louis’ chest and snuggled close to him. He sniffed loudly, earning a whiff of Louis’ sweat.

He sighed. ‘’Please tell me this isn’t a dream. I’ve waited so long for this to happen.’’ He sounded almost sad.

‘’This is not a dream. Harry, I regret not sharing my feelings with you earlier. But, I kinda like how this happened. Here. In our bedroom, in this lovely cottage, in this even lovelier country. It’s just us. Well, us, and those three other idiots’’, he chuckled, ‘’but I love them and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.’’

‘’Me neither’’, Harry admitted. He kissed Louis’ chest three times before laying his head down again. He let out a sigh, this time a more happy one.

‘’This used to be my dream’’, he told Louis. ‘’I’m glad to have it be reality now. I just have to let that fact sink in a little bit longer.’’

‘’How about I show you just how real all of this is?’’ Louis said, a smirk appearing on his features.

Harry mildly slapped Louis’ chest. ‘’Lou-eh, you horny boy!’’ Harry exclaimed, erupting in giggles. 

Louis raised his eyebrows. ‘’Is that a ‘no’?’’

‘’Definitely not’’, Harry said, climbing on top of Louis. He rotated his hips in circles, their cocks brushing together.

‘’When you’re ready, old man’’, he jokingly told Louis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope it wasn't too bad, haha! Advice is very much welcome.  
> I wish you all a great morning/afternoon/evening night!  
> Lots of love,  
> J xx


	19. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi lovely people!  
> Hope you like this short, yet sweet update xx  
> Also, Leeyum and Lewis are whipped for Zen and Hairy.
> 
> Jason Reeves - Save My Heart

Harry woke up to a room that was bathing in the yellow glow of the sunlight that entered the room, particles of dust floating around like a dance.

The boy slowly blinked and let out a loud yawn. When he finally fully opened his eyes, he saw the deepest shade of blue he had ever come across.

Louis’ blinked, those blue crystals disappearing behind his eyelids for a few seconds before Harry’s breath was taken all over again.

 

‘’Good morning, gorgeous’’, Louis said, his voice deep as he had just woken up a minute before Harry.

‘’G’morning’’, Harry replied, hiding his smile in his pillow.

Louis rubbed in between the younger boy’s shoulder blades as memories of what happened last night flooded both of their minds. And of what happened after. And after that. Suffice to say they had only had a few hours of sleep.

Harry didn’t think he’d mind the lack of his sleep if he were able to wake up like this every morning.

‘’Last night was… wonderful’’, he said.

Louis nodded in agreement. ‘’It was. Can’t imagine what tonight will be like.’’

Harry looked at him and raised one eyebrow. ‘’Tonight? That’s a long wait, then. I mean, earlier is possible, too.’’

Louis smirked. ‘’I’m listening.’’

Harry leaned in for a kiss. When he felt Louis’ tongue tracing the seam of his lips, he pulled away. He bit his lip as he gave his boyfriend what he hoped was a seductive look before placing his hands on Louis’ hips and starting to slide down his body.

He was stopped by Louis gently pulling him up again.

‘’Wait.’’

‘’Did- did I do something wrong?’’ Harry asked.

Louis shook his head strenuously. ‘’No, no, not at all’’, he assured him. ‘’’S just… Well, this is gonna sound stupid, but I thought that maybe we could just kiss for now?’’

He held his palm in the air before Harry could talk. ‘’Don’t get me wrong. I love all the other stuff. _Love_. And I can’t wait to repeat last night. But, I like just kissing, too’’, he said truthfully.

‘’I know it sounds lame, but-‘’

‘’It does not sound lame’’, Harry interrupted him. ‘’I mean, I’ve spent the past year imagining what it would be like to wake up next to you. _To get to kiss you_.’’

Louis beamed at him. 

‘’And I like just kissing, too’’, Harry added. He gave Louis’ lips a soft peck to put emphasis on that statement.

‘’What a pair we are’’, Louis said on a breathy chuckle. ‘’We should probably be fucking by now, according to today’s standards.’’

‘’Well, I happen to dislike today’s standards’’, Harry simply replied.

‘’Ooh’’, Louis said, ‘’is this your ‘fuck society’ moment? A cliché in the film industry, but kinda hot when it’s you, if you ask me.’’

‘’I do not hate society’’, Harry explained. ‘’I just think that people should stop trying to label things as ‘normal’ or as the ‘standard’ and instead do whatever works for them and not judging other people.

‘’Hmm’’, Louis hummed as he pondered it, ‘’that’s still kinda hot.’’

Harry let out a loud laugh.

He began to lift himself off Louis’ body, but then he was stopped.

‘’You can stay here’’, Louis told him. ‘’I quite like having you on top of me.’’

Harry looked at him, holding his breath. After a few seconds, he released all of the air he’d been holding in.

‘’I’ve got nothing’’, he admitted. ‘’I tried to think of something sexy to say, but I’m all flustered, and, like, awkward.’’

‘’I am quite fond of your awkwardness’’, Louis said, shooting him a wink.

Harry leaned down to reconnect their lips.

-

An hour, and a shower, later, the two of them were sat at the dining table. The other boys were there, too. Niall had taken it upon himself to prepare breakfast for all of them.

‘’I have been up since six, so I figured I’d go do something useful’’, he explained as he reached for the strawberry jam.

‘’Why were you up so early?’’ Liam questioned. They usually had to rise and shine very early when they had to go in the studio that day. Six a.m. was not an ungodly hour to them. But, they were on vacation now and they had stayed up late.

‘’Couldn’t sleep. Nerves, I reckon’’, Niall answered.

He’d be going on a date with Victoria that afternoon, and he felt a little nauseous just thinking about it.

‘’She’s gonna adore you’’, Harry told Niall, offering him a genuine smile.

‘’Thanks, H. I’m still nervous, though. Haven’t dated in quite some time, to be honest.’’

‘’Well, we’re rooting for you’’, Louis told him.

‘’Thanks, mate. Means a lot’’, Niall replied. ‘’What are the lot of you up to today?’’

‘’Liam and I are going to call our families. To wish them happy holidays, and to share the news about us being together’’, Zayn said. ‘’It’s kind of scary, but needs to be done.’’

Niall looked at him sympathetically. ‘’I’m sure they’ll react wonderfully.’’ Zayn smiled at that.

‘’Yeah, they will.’’

‘’I really am the only non-gay in this band, aren’t I?’’ Niall said, the words being more of a statement than a question.

‘’Yep’’, Harry said, grinning. ‘’Maybe we should change the band’s name to Two Directions, eh?’’

Niall, Liam and Zayn all groaned, while Louis burst out in giggles.

‘’Two. Directions’’, he said, hiccupping. ‘’Brilliant. Bloody brilliant.’’

Harry smiled at his boyfriend.

‘’You’re literally the only one who thinks that’’, Niall told Louis.

‘’Shut it, Neil’’, Louis said. ‘’My baby is funny.’’

‘’Whatever you say, big guy. Anyway, what are you and Harry doing today? And please do not share any details about your sex life. Or do, that would be sort of hot.’’

‘’You sure you’re not gay?’’ Zayn joked.

‘’I’m not, but you lot could probably turn me’’, Niall replied, sounding serious. 

‘’I wanted to visit Clara today’’, Harry said as an answer to Niall’s question. ‘’And I want to call my family, too.’’

‘’And I’m doing whatever he’s doing’’, Louis chimed in.

‘’Couple goals’’, Niall cooed with delight. ‘’Maybe, I’ll run into you, then. I’m taking Victoria to Clara’s.’’

‘’Nice’’, Louis said.

‘’We probably should continue our songwriting soon’’, Liam piped up.

‘’It’s Christmas, babe’’, Zayn said. ‘’It can wait a few days.’’

Liam rested his head on Zayn’s shoulder and nodded. ‘’You’re right. Celebrating, first. Then, work.’’

Louis watched the couple as he forked bacon onto his plate. ‘’Aw, look at you two’’, he said teasingly. ‘’Completely whipped for one another.’’

‘’Says the one who just laughed at Harry’s dumb joke’’, Zayn protested. He turned to Harry, who coughed loudly, adding, ‘’No offence, mate.’’

‘’None taken’’, Harry replied, albeit sounding not all too pleased with the comment. He found himself to be quite funny, thank you very much.

‘’I’m his boyfriend. I should be able to laugh at each of Hazza’s dumb jokes without being judged. It’s part of my job’’, Louis claimed.

‘’ _Hey_ ’’, Harry whined, his bottom lip curling downwards in a pout. ‘’I thought you loved my jokes!’’

‘’I do, I do’’, Louis said, voice rushed. 

‘’Well, gays’’, Niall interfered, ‘’I’m going to get ready for my date with Victoria.’’ He rose from his chair.

‘’Your date isn’t for another two hours, though’’, Liam said.

‘’Yes, but perfection takes time, _Liam_ ’’, was Niall’s answer.

‘’Not always. I woke up like this’’, Zayn said.

‘’Yeah, and you should really brush your hair’’, Niall told him. Zayn gritted his teeth and Niall dashed out of the room.

Zayn scoffed. 

‘’My hair always looks good.’’

When no one else said anything, he cleared his throat loudly. Silence.

‘’Liam!’’ Zayn screeched. ‘’Tell me my hair always looks good!’’ he demanded.

‘’Yes, yes, always’’, Liam was quick to say. Harry and Louis snickered.

‘’Zip it, you two’’, Zayn said warningly.

‘’Whatever you say, big guy’’, Louis said, quoting Niall.

-

Louis joined Harry at Clara’s. It was not snowing during their short walk there, but the ground was still covered in white from the previous days. Harry may or may not have almost slipped on the icy ground. He would’ve fallen hard if Louis hadn’t been there to catch them, which would not have done any good to his already injured ankle.

They were still holding hands when they entered the festively-decorated restaurant. Clara was scurrying around, trying to serve her guests. When she spotted the two boys, however, she halted. Her gaze seemed to immediately fall on their linked hands, a smirk forming on her face.

‘’Hello, boys’’, she said warmly.

‘’Hi, Clara’’, they answered in unison.

‘’Take a seat’’, she told them. ‘’I’ll be with you soon and then we can… catch up.’’

‘’I’d like to use your loo first, if that’s okay’’, Louis said. Clara frowned, confused by the foreign term, and wrinkles appeared on her forehead.

‘’Loo?’’ she repeated in a question.

‘’Oh’’, Louis said on a chuckle, ‘’the toilet, I mean.’’

Clara waved her hand in the direction of the toilets and smiled at him, ‘’By all means, go ahead.’’  
Louis scurried off.

The woman turned to Harry. ‘’I am sensing change’’, she said. ‘’A good change, perhaps?’’ She quirked her eyebrow at Harry, who smiled broadly.

‘’Very good’’, he told her. ‘’We…’’ He traced his front teeth with his tongue as he thought about what to say. ‘’We’re together. As a couple.’’

Clara let out a gleeful laugh as she cupped Harry’s face with her hands and lightly pinched his cheeks. ‘’That makes me so, so happy’’, she said.

‘’Thank you’’, Harry replied. ‘’It makes me happy, too. He makes me happy. Very happy.’’

‘’You deserve it, honey’’, Clara said. Harry felt a pang of sadness in his chest as the words reminded him of Clara’s story about Ben, of how Clara deserved such happiness as well, but did not receive it. She deserved a happy ending just as much as he did. He thought she probably deserved it even more. She was such a kind and lovely lady.

‘’Thank you’’, he said again. ‘’And for what it’s worth, you deserve the same.’’

Louis returned before Clara could reply, but the grateful look on the woman’s features spoke volumes.

‘’I’m back’’, he announced as he took his place next to Harry, putting his hand on the small of his boyfriend’s back.

‘’Let me get you two something warm to drink, then’’, Clara said, a bright smile lighting up her features. ‘’And, oh, before I forget, merry Christmas, darlings’’, she said lovingly.

‘’Merry Christmas’’, they replied. Clara took off.

‘’You know’’, Louis began, ‘’we almost had our first kiss here. But you ran away from me, so we had our kiss outside.’’

‘’Oh yeah, that is true. Ugh, I was so scared.’’

‘’Of me?’’ Louis asked. He placed his hand over his chest.

‘’Of kissing you, yeah. I was so gone for you and I couldn’t have you noticing that little fact. You didn’t even know I was gay then!’’

‘’Until you practically shouted it through the entire restaurant’’, Louis pointed out.

Harry scrunched his nose. ‘’Don’t remind me.’’

‘’It was kind of awesome. Big. A big coming out moment. Proper film material’’, Louis said.

‘’Wanna know how I came out to Gems?’’ Harry asked, already fishing out his phone since he knew what Louis’ answer would be.

‘’Fuck yes, I want to.’’

Harry handed Louis his phone, the short poem he sent to Gemma showing on the display.

Louis’ eyes flickered over the words, a smile slowly appearing on his face. After reading the final words, he burst out in laughter. A few other patrons looked at them, but no disgust or annoyance was aimed at them. People merely looked amused.

‘’This is even better than you screaming you’re gay!’’ Louis exclaimed.

Harry grinned. ‘’It was one of my finest moments, yeah.’’

‘’You’re an idiot’’, Louis said. He let out a long, dramatic sigh. ‘’I cannot believe I’m I love with an idiot!’’

Harry giggled. ‘’Well, you’re stuck with me now, so you best believe it.’’

Louis pulled him close. ‘’A lovely idiot’’, he said fondly, as he felt lips touch his cheek, the spot immediately warming up.

‘’ _My idiot_.’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it. Kudo's and comments are much appreciated :)  
> Wishing you a great day!  
> Love, J xx


	20. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi lovelies :)  
> I hope you like at least a part of this chapter and don't hate me for the other one.  
> xx J
> 
> Mark Ronson ft. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like a Heart

Later that day, when he checked his phone for any new messages, Harry noticed that he had multiple missed calls from Ed. His heart rate picked up instantly as he feared the worst. If he had tried to contact Harry nine times in the past two hours already, surely something awful must have happened.

He quickly pressed the ‘call’ button, tapping his foot on the floor in an impatient rhythm as he waited for his friend to pick up the phone.

‘’Come on, Ed, pick up’’, Harry muttered out loud as he grew more nervous at the high-pitched sounds of the beeps.

After what seemed like an entire century, Ed picked up.

_‘’Hiya, H. Finally checked your phone, eh?’’_

Harry’s brows furrowed in confusion. The voice on the other end of the line sounded calm, much unlike he had expected.

‘’There hasn’t been any accident, has there?’’ Harry asked anyway, just to be safe.

 _‘’Accident?’’_ Now Ed was the confused one. _‘’What accident?’’_

Harry shrugged, although motions were not carried over the phone. ‘’You called so many times, I was worried something was wrong.’’

 _‘’Nah, mate. All’s good. Just wanted to tell you that the song is done’’_ , Ed told him.

‘’Song?’’ Harry asked as he racked his brain, trying to understand which song was meant.

 _‘’The one about Louis’’_ , Ed clarified. _‘’That we discussed over the phone about a week ago.’’_

Right. _That_ song. He and Louis had not been together then. Which Ed did not know yet. It had completely slipped his mind to tell his friend. Well, now seemed as good a time as any.

‘’Yeah, about that’’, he began, but found himself interrupted as Ed talked over him.

_‘’I can’t wait for you to hear it. I can sing it for you now, or send you the lyrics or…‘’_

‘’Ed’’, Harry tried.

_‘’… or text you a screenshot…’’_

_‘’Ed.’’_

_‘’… or send them to you in a letter, handwritten, proper classy stuff.’’_

‘’Ed, will you stop talking for one bloody second!?’’

 _‘’Sorry’’_ , Ed mumbled.

‘’It’s fine. I just wanted to tell you about some recent developments.’’

_‘’Proceed.’’_

‘’Louis and I are dating!’’ Harry exclaimed into the speaker. He felt giddy all over as he spoke the words.

_‘’No way!’’_

‘’Yes way!’’

_‘’Mom, get over here! Harry got together with Lou!’’_

Harry frowned. ‘’Your mom knows about this?’’

 _‘’Of course’’_ , came Ed’s reply. _‘’I tell her everything. She is just as invested in you as a couple as I am, she’s chuffed to hear you finally grew the balls to tell Louis you like him.’’_

Harry tried to catch whatever was whispered then on the other end of the line, but he could not properly make out any words. He assumed his interpretation of ‘never dead malls’ did not fit whatever was said.

 _‘’Mum wants me to add that she never said the word ‘balls’’’_ , Ed said.

Harry snickered. ‘’Well, tell Imogen that she is a sweetheart for being so happy about this. And that she is a sweetheart in general.’’ He felt a bit awkward using her first name, but she insisted upon it.

 _‘’I am happy too!’’_ Ed said. _‘’Why aren’t you calling me a sweetheart?’’_

‘’You’re an idiot’’, Harry quipped.

Ed let out a loud whine. _‘’I just want to be loved. Give me love.’’_

‘’You are loved by millions and millions of fans’’, Harry reminded him.

 _‘’But not by you’’_ , Ed whined.

‘’Like I said; you’re an idiot.’’

_‘’Seriously, though, I am so happy for you. You this deserve this. You both do.’’_

‘’Thanks, Ed. I appreciate it.’’

_‘’Where’s your future hubby now?’’_

‘’On the couch, waiting for me to return so we can cuddle and play games. Not sure how we’ll be able to do that whilst cuddling, though.’’

_‘’Ah, then I won’t keep you from him any longer.’’_

‘’He doesn’t mind.’’

_‘’I do. I’ll send you the song somehow.’’_

‘’Thanks, man. Love you.’’

 _‘’Oh my God’’_ , Ed squealed, _‘’Harry Styles_ does _love me!’’_

Harry chuckled. ‘’I’m gonna hang up now.’’

_‘’Fine, fine. Return to Lou. But, I want at least when a dozen pics of you two cuddled up before I check my phone the next time.’’_

‘’You’re on that thing 24/7, so that’s pretty much beyond the bounds of possibility’’, Harry pointed out.

_‘’True. Send me those pics anyway. Love you too, bro.’’_

After about twenty goodbyes – neither one of them wanted to be the one to hang up the phone – Harry found himself returning to the living room where Louis was sprawled out on the couch.

‘’Good talk with Eduardo?’’ Louis asked.

‘’Always’’, Harry said as he sat down on the tiny spot that was still free on the couch. Louis wrapped his arms around Harry’s waist and pulled him down, so that he was now lying on top of the older boy’s body.

‘’Could get used to this’’, Harry said.

‘’You better’’, Louis told him. Harry hummed in reply.

-

Niall felt nervous as he stood in front of Clara’s restaurant, patiently waiting for Victoria to show up. Since he was about twenty minutes early, he anticipated having to wait a little bit longer.

So, there he was. Nervous. Nervous, yet also excited. He had not dated in a while, and, at the moment, he was the only available person in the band. He wouldn’t mind landing himself a girlfriend, however. 

Someone he could spoil rotten. Someone he could dress up for and take to poncey restaurants, yet with whom he could also watch films as they were both in their comfiest sweatshirts.

He checked the time again. Nineteen more minutes.

When he reached the mark of fourteen minutes, however, Victoria appeared. Niall immediately straightened his posture and smiled as the girl approached him. She looked every bit as lovely as Niall remembered. Her blue eyes were sparkling and her dark, shoulder-length hair seemed was shiny. Her broad smile matched Niall’s.

Niall took a deep breath before saying, ‘’Hi’’. He had been thinking of what to say to her, but in the end this was what he’d came up with. _Hi_. Short and simple. Couldn't go wrong with 'hi'.

‘’Hey, Niall’’, Victoria greeted him. 

‘’How’ve you been?’’ Niall queried. 

‘’Good, good. Busy with work. And you?’’

‘’Not busy with work.’’

Victoria laughed at his answer. Niall thought it sounded lovely. He bit his lip as he thought of things to say next, but Victoria beat him to it.

‘’I’m just gonna be honest here: I was trying to be all cool and collected, but I’m honestly dying here. I’m _that_ nervous.’’ Her cheeks were slightly flushed and she looked like she was quite embarrassed at what she had just admitted to.

‘’Not because you’re famous’’, she rambled on, ‘’well, that too, but mostly because you’re really great, and cute, and very much my type. Ugh, Victoria, just stop talking!’’ 

Niall chuckled, his nerves dissipating a bit at her confessions.

‘’Believe me’’, he said, ‘’I am just as nervous as you are. You are pretty and kind and I can’t just rely on my Irish charm to win you over.’’

Victoria grinned at that. ‘’Hmm, no? I’d like to see you try.’’

Niall raised an eyebrow. ‘’Oh, really? Do you think you can handle it?’’

‘’I most certainly can’’, Victoria said with such confidence that Niall could not help but feel a tiny bit intimidated by her.

‘’Okay, then. Let me woo you. I’ll be a proper gentleman’’, he told her. He winked at her as he took a step towards the restaurant’s front door and pushed at the wood. It did not budge.

‘’Um, it’s pull, not push’’, Victoria pointed out. ‘’ _Ziehen means pulling_ ’’, she added, referring to the green letters painted onto the door.

‘’Ah’’, Niall said, mentally face-palming himself for making a fool out of himself in the first five minutes. ‘’That’s… embarrassing, really.’’

‘’It’s really not’’, Victoria assured him, still smiling, ‘’it happens to me literally all the time.’’

Niall was grateful he was going on this date with Victoria. Most girls would just have laughed in his face. Truth be told, if it were Liam who had pushed at the door, Niall would’ve laughed his arse off.

‘’After you’’, Niall said after he _gracefully_ pulled the door towards them.

‘’Why thank you’’, Victoria replied playfully as she entered the restaurant. Niall followed suit.

They were greeted by Clara, who showed them to their table. It was right next to one of the windows, allowing them to look at the pretty view of the snowy mountains outside.

‘’It’s so nice out here’’, Niall said.

‘’It’s… home’’, Victoria decided to say. ‘’I get why tourists love it so much, but it gets kinda boring here. Don’t get me wrong, the view is lovely. The people are even lovelier. There’s just not much to do out here.’’

Niall hummed. ‘’I could see why you’d say that.’’

‘’What’s your home like?’’ Victoria then asked.

‘’Mullingar or London?’’

‘’Both.’’

Niall tapped his chin as he conjured up all memories of his hometown.

‘’It’s small’’, he began. ‘’Not as small as here, but small still. It’s your average town, I guess. Not that special, but I always feel welcome there and everyone’s great.

‘’London is the exact opposite. Well, some of the people are great, like my bandmates, but I hardly know anyone there. And it’s so big, it does not really feel like home most of the time. It’s vibrant and bustling, but it doesn’t smell like the cookies my father bakes every Sunday.’’

Victoria smiles at that. ‘’Your father bakes?’’

‘’Yep. He loves it. He started out with some simple recipes when I was, like, seven or eight, but _The Great British Bake Off_ fuelled his passion and now he tries all of these fancy cake recipes and such.’’

‘’That’s lovely’’, Victoria comments. ‘’I wish my father would make me cookies and fancy cakes. He can’t cook or bake for shit, and now I’m stuck with buying supermarket chocolate chip cookies.’’

‘’Oomph, homemade is better. Always’’, Niall replies.

‘’I know, right!?’’

Niall could not for the life of him remember why he was so nervous before. Yes, there was a beautiful girl sitting in front of him, but she made him feel so at ease. 

‘’I could bake you some cookies sometime?’’ Niall suggested. 

‘’I’d like that’’, Victoria told him.

‘’It’s settled, then. Next time I see you I’m bringing chocolate chip cookies. I’ll have to ask Harry to help make them.’’

‘’I’m not sure whether I should be focusing on the fact that you implied there will be a next time, which I’d very much like, or on the fact that two out of five One Direction members will be making cookies for me.’’

‘’Both are very good options to focus on’’, Niall said, thinking along with her, ‘’but I think you should focus most on the fact that you’re getting free, _homemade_ cookies.’’ 

‘’Ah, right, right, of course’’, Victoria said, ‘’priorities straight and all.’’

Niall laughed.

He could get used to this.

-

Back at the cottage, Harry and Louis’ limbs were all tangled together as they napped on the couch. The playing cards on the table in front of them were long forgotten. 

Soft snores left Harry’s lips, while Louis barely made any sound. They looked so calm there, so peaceful together, but of course, there was always a storm that followed.

Their dozing was interrupted by Louis’ ringtone. 

Louis scrambled to retrieve his phone from the coffee table, almost sending both him and Harry flying off the couch in the process.

He managed to snatch the phone. One look at the display told him he was being video called by management. By Simon, to be more exact. The man barely had any time left on his hands, but for the past few months, he had rapidly become more involved in One Direction’s career. More controlling, too. 

Louis knew better than to decline the call. He just did not get why they had to be face to face. He supposed it was one of Simon’s ways of knowing where they were. He didn’t like it. He remembered being scolded by the man when he’d been called while he was at a party. He was then told to return to his apartment and rest, since there’d be an impromptu studio day the next day. Louis hated Simon’s calls.

‘’Hello?’’ Louis said as he reluctantly accepted the call. Simon’s face appeared on his screen.

‘’Hello, Louis’’, said Simon. ‘’I wanted to call to see how the songwriting’s been going so far.’’

‘’Not to wish us a Merry Christmas?’’

‘’Not particularly, no. But, Merry Christmas.’’

‘’Yeah, same to you’’, Louis mumbled. He was still a little drowsy from his interrupted nap.

‘’So, the songwriting?’’ Simon pressed on.

‘’We’ve got some things. We’re still in the process of writing. Took a few days off for Christmas.’’

‘’Not too many days, I hope. We need to start recording soon.’’

Louis fought the urge to roll his eyes at the man’s words. They had been working their arses off ever since The X Factor started. Could they not have a break? Not even a small one?’’

‘’Babe’’, Harry then sleepily said beside him, ‘’tell him Ed wrote us something.’’

‘’Who’s that?’’ Simon inquired, wrinkles appearing on his forehead.

Louis shifted his phone so that Harry was now partly in view. The boy’s head was on Louis’ shoulder and he looked cosy and comfortable.

‘’What is this?’’ Simon asked, even more wrinkles showing. His face was now enlarged on Louis’ screen, indicating that the man was leaning closer to his phone. His eyes zoned in on something. Louis looked down at Harry and his eyes widened as he spotted the very thing that Simon was most likely looking at.

A big, purple-bluish hickey on Harry’s collarbone that was exposed. 

Simon’s eyes flitted between Harry and Louis and realisation hit him.

‘’Don’t answer me’’, Simon said. ‘’I don’t want to know. Whatever this is, it has to end. Now.’’

‘’But-‘’ Louis tried. 

‘’ _Now._ You’re on vacation for songwriting, not-‘’, he wrinkled his nose, ‘’fraternisation.’’

Harry looked at Louis in shock, while Louis stared at the screen, his face an even mix of unbelieving and anger. He was given no chance to speak, as Simon continued.

‘’When you get back, this is done and this was nothing but a mistake. You two understand?’’

Louis ended the call. He did not want to answer.

He looked at Harry, whose eyes had begun to fill with tears.

‘’H?’’ he croaked out.

The door to the living room swung open all of a sudden.

‘’Guess who just had the most amazing date of his life?’’ Niall exclaimed cheerfully as he marched into the room. He stopped in his tracks as he took in the looks on Harry and Louis’ faces.

‘’Wha- what happened?’’

Harry let out a loud sob and the tears started flowing. Niall approached them and sat down on the couch’s arm.

He gently carded his fingers through Harry’s curls and looked over at Louis. He had never seen so much emotion in the boy’s tear-filled eyes.

‘’It’s okay’’, Niall softly said as he kept running his fingers through Harry’s hair.

He angled his body more horizontally so that he could keep comforting Harry while also being able to put his arm around Louis’ shoulders.

‘’It’s okay’’, he repeated. He did not know what had happened, but he figured the boys would tell him whenever they were ready. Right now, they just needed him.

‘’Everything’s gonna be alright.’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> I wish you a great day :)


	21. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, lovely people!!  
> I'm kind of happy with this chapter, although I'm not sure if it's meant to be hot or very sad.  
> Anyways, I hope you liked reading it as much as I liked writing it.  
> xx J
> 
> Tiësto, Jonas Blue & Rita Ora - Ritual // Ariana Grande - fake smile (sad version by Moonlightrecords)

‘’Haz?’’

Louis looked over to his boy who was sitting on his bed, head in his hands. Barely ten minutes had gone by after the phone call with Simon. Harry had broken away from Louis and Niall’s embrace and had run to his bedroom immediately. 

Niall had told Louis to go after him. To comfort him. Louis had nodded, and he had found Harry there, in the same position he was now.

‘’Harry?’’ he tried again, keeping his voice soft and gentle.

Harry’s shoulder shook as quiet sobs left his mouth. Louis slowly walked over and sat down next to him. He was not sure whether Harry would be okay with him putting an arm around the boy, or if he’d rather have some space. His question was answered when Harry scooted closer to him to nuzzle his neck.

Louis slung his arm around him.

Harry looked at him with those big doe eyes that were now shimmering with tears. Louis hated seeing him like that. It was not the first time he’d seen Harry cry, but it still killed him to take in the sight in front of him.

‘’Harry, he had no right’’, Louis said. He felt angry and sad, especially when talking about what had just happened, but he tried to shove his emotions away for now to be able to comfort his boyfriend.

More sobs left Harry. ‘’N- no. He didn’t’’, Harry hiccupped.

‘’Then screw him!’’ Louis exclaimed, voice louder than he’d intended. Harry winced at the volume.

‘’He has no say in who we date or how we identify ourselves’’, Louis continued. 

‘’But we signed contracts’’, Harry said in a low voice. He created the tiniest bit of distance between himself and Louis.

‘’So? They didn’t say we couldn’t date who we wanted.’’

‘’In private’’, Harry told him. ‘’He owns our public life.’’

‘’He is a prick. And, he cannot force us to end things’’, Louis said. ‘’I’ll promise you this, Haz. I don’t give a flying fuck about what that man has to say about our relationship. I love you and I’m not letting you go.’’

Harry then surged forward and desperately pressed his lips against Louis’. The older boy wasted no time in kissing him back. They moved with haste and urgency and soon Harry was straddling Louis’ lap, their lips still attached.

‘’ _I need you_ ’’, Harry told Louis. ‘’Need to know you’re here with me.’’

‘’I’m with you, baby. I’m right here. Always here’’, Louis panted as Harry took his shirt off. The latter pressed their lips together, even harder this time.

He made quick work of removing both of their clothes, leaving them in only their underwear.

‘’Gonna take care of you, Lou’’, Harry said. ‘’Wanna ride you, wanna feel you inside me. I want to feel you when I wake up tomorrow.’’

‘’Better get these off, then’’, Louis said, stroking the fabric of Harry’s briefs. Harry complied easily and took them off. He then practically _ripped_ Louis boxers from his body.

Louis flipped them over.

‘’Wha- I thought I was riding you?’’ Harry asked confusedly.

‘’You are’’, Louis said. He pecked Harry’s lips, before continuing. ‘’But I thought I could rim you first.’’

A string of ‘ohmygod’s’ and ‘fuck’s’ left Harry’s lips. ‘’You okay with that?’’ Louis asked him. He had been dying to rim him ever since the first – and, so far, only – time they had slept together.

‘’Yes’’, Harry panted out. He turned so he way lying on his stomach. ‘’More than okay.’’

Louis chuckled at his enthusiasm. ‘’Thought so’’, he said.

‘’Well, better get started, then’’, Harry replied, starting to get impatient. He was desperate for Louis to give him something, _anything_.

‘’Patience, grasshopper’’, Louis said. He flattened his palms on Harry’s arse cheeks, rubbing a few circles and squeezing the flesh.

Harry grunted out, ‘’Tease.’’

Louis gripped his hips and pulled Harry’s arse up into the air, all while his thumbs kept stroking the skin. Before he continued any frisky activities, he reached to grab one of the fluffy pillows so Harry could lie more comfortably.

‘’Thanks’’, Harry said.

Louis took his time looking at the boy splayed out for him. He kissed the back of Harry’s left thigh as his hands returned to his arse, giving the meaty cheeks a few gentle squeezes. He continued a trail of kisses down Harry’s thighs and legs, to then return to his lower back. 

He lathed parts of the skin of Harry’s lower back as he maintained the circular movements of his hands on his bum.

‘’If you want me to stop, or if I do something you don’t like, don’t hesitate to tell me’’, Louis said.

Harry nodded. ‘’So far, everything feels really good’’, he told him, sounding blissed out already.

‘’Good’’, Louis said, smirking. He placed tiny kisses all over Harry’s arse as he massaged his cheeks. Eventually, he spread the boy’s cheeks, and left his hole exposed. Harry instinctively spread his legs more. Louis had trouble breathing. He just looked so _beautiful_.

Louis dragged his tongue around Harry’s opening, teasing him a bit more. He alternated between suckling and softly biting on the skin near the exposed hole and leaving wet kisses everywhere.

Finally, he let his tongue lick over Harry’s hole. The younger boy exhaled loudly and his toes curled in pleasure.

Louis swirled his tongue around the opening a few times before putting a bit more pressure. Harry pressed backwards, but Louis pulled away.

‘’Nuh-huh, not happening. Don’t be greedy, baby’’, Louis warned him. He was a bit unsure of himself, not sure whether Harry would be into being a bit on the submissive side. Judging from the whining noise that came out of Harry’s throat, Louis thought he probably was.

He took hold of Harry’s hips, so the boy could not move any longer, before returning all of his attention to the task at hand.

Louis’ flattened his tongue and licked over Harry’s hole again. And then another time. Having decided that he had teased his boy enough, Louis put in just enough pressure to get the tip of his tongue inside of him. He pressed his tongue deeper and could feel Harry’s muscles contract before relaxing again.

Harry gripped the sheets as Louis licked deeper and deeper. 

‘’So hot, Haz’’, Louis croaked out as he pulled away from his arse for a few seconds just to breathe. ‘’You feel so hot.’’

Harry’s hole had loosened a bit, and now Louis’ tongue slid in a bit more easily. He resumed his long licks from before. He could feel Harry squirming under him, and figured it was time to give him something more.

Louis now pulled away entirely and lifted himself off the bed.

‘’Where are you going?’’ Harry asked, the desperation clearly audible in his voice.

‘’Just grabbing the lube’’, Louis explained. He’d left the bottle on the nightstand after their previous session.

He generously applied the liquid on his fingers before sliding the first digit in.

Harry groaned in pleasure. ‘’God, Lou, that feels great.’’

Louis started moving his finger in and out of Harry’s hole and lowered his face so he could continue where he’d left off. He licked around his finger as he searched for Harry’s sweet spot. On the next inward movement, he pushed his finger to the left and grazed the bundle of nerves.

‘’ _Fuck!_ ’’ Harry cried out at the stimulation. ‘’Don’t you dare stop now’’, he added as Louis took his time entering him again.

Louis added a second finger and directed both digits to Harry’s prostate. His tongue slid in between them as he started moving his fingers in scissoring movements.

‘’Louis, please-‘’

‘’Please what, Harry?’’ Louis asked sweetly.

‘’More, Louis!’’ Harry screeched.

Louis wanted to make him beg for it and take his sweet time prepping Harry, but he himself was becoming harder every second and he could not wait much longer until he needed some release himself, too. 

‘’Your wish is my command’’, Louis said as he added a third finger and moved them in and out of the hole, Harry trembling against him. Louis flickered the tip of his tongue along with his three fingers inside the opening.

Harry was a panting mess and he was fast approaching his orgasm.

‘’S- stop’’, he managed to get out.

Louis pulled his fingers and tongue out immediately. ‘’Shit. What did I do? Haz, I’m so sorry, I-‘’

‘’No, no, you’re fine’’, Harry interrupted him, as soon as he caught his breath. He turned his face to look at Louis. ‘’I _loved_ what you were doing, truly, but I want you inside me. Your cock. Dick. Dingaling.’’

Louis broke out in laughter. ‘’Dingaling, seriously, H? Way to ruin the mood.’’

‘’Shut up and get your penis inside me now!’’ Harry demanded.

‘’Feisty’’, Louis commented. Harry shot him a glare.

Louis positioned himself on his back, since Harry wanted to be on top this time. Harry hovered his body over Louis’ cock, gripping the shaft as he lowered himself.

On his first attempt, Louis’ cock slid sideways. Harry meant business, however, and wasted no time in getting it right. He pushed down and he could feel the tip of Louis’ cock breaching his hole.

Thanks to Louis’, he was well-prepped and he felt little to no discomfort as he lowered himself all the way down and Louis bottomed out.

Harry loved how much Louis was stretching him out and dug his fingernails in the blue-eyed boy’s hips. He swiveled his hips in circular movements, before lifting himself up a bit and sliding down on Louis’ cock again.

Louis thrusted upwards and Harry rocked back on his cock as they increased speed.

As Harry kept bouncing, he could feel his thighs becoming sore and his breathing got more ragged.

He allowed Louis to take over. He thrusted upwards into Harry’s hole as their climaxes neared.

‘’I love you so much, Lou’’, Harry rushed out as his body was rocked as Louis pounded into him.

‘’Love you too, Haz’’, Louis replied, a warm feeling spreading throughout his entire body. He bucked his hips upwards once more before he shot his load deep inside of Harry, who followed suit and came untouched all over his stomach.

‘’Fuck, H, I didn’t wear a condom’’, Louis said, worry taking over the blissful feeling his orgasm had brought upon him.

‘’I’m clean’’, Harry said as he lifted himself off Louis’ cock, come dribbling out of his hole.

‘’Me too’’, Louis replied, ‘’but still, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to, I promise.’’

‘’It’s fine’’, Harry chuckled. ‘’I trust you and I could feel you even better this time, so I’m not complaining.’’

Louis smiled at his boyfriend, the worry dissipating. He rolled Harry over and took off to the en suite to grab a wet cloth. After he cleaned both Harry and himself up, he snuggled up to his boyfriend and placed a blanket on top of their naked bodies.

He could hear sniffing sounds from beside him and turned on his side.

‘’H?’’ he softly asked upon seeing a tear rolling down Harry’s cheek.

‘’I love you’’, Harry whispered, his voice cracking on the last word. ‘’Why can’t they just let me love you?’’ 

Louis stroked his long curls and kissed his cheek. ‘’I love you, Harry. They can’t take that away from me, from us. They’ll just have to deal.’’

‘’In private, they just might’’, Harry said. ‘’What about in public?’’

‘’We’ll see’’, Louis told him. ‘’But, whatever happens, I’ll fight for us.’’

‘’Me too’’, Harry replied. ‘’Thanks, Lou. For being there for me. I just- I want you to know that I’m there for you too. I know his words hurt you just as much as they did me, yet you stayed strong for me. I love that about you, Lou, but it’s also okay to let go every once in a while. To let me be there for you. To let me hold you.’’

Louis’ eyes stung with tears that threatened to spill. ‘’I was so unsure of myself’’, he croaked out. ‘’So unhappy, because I didn’t know who I was’’, he said to Harry. ‘’I finally accepted myself. I was happy with myself. And then someone comes in and tells me I can’t be myself.’’

‘’Let go, Louis’’, Harry whispered in his ear. ‘’It’s okay, you’re okay. _Let go._ ’’

Fat tears rolled down Louis’ cheek as he allowed himself to be sad and show his misery.

‘’I just want to be me’’, Louis said in between sobs. 

Harry took him in his arms and whispered sweet nothings in his ear as he let Louis break his walls and let the flood out.

After half an hour, the crying had worn Louis out and he fell asleep in Harry’s arms. 

Harry kept whispering ‘’You’re fine’’ and ‘’I love you’’ to Louis until he fell asleep himself not much later.

Liam, Zayn and Niall found them in the same position a few hours later, when it was dinner time. They didn’t want to wake them up, so they left a note.

_Dear Lou and H,_

_We love you two to bits._   
_We don’t know what happened that made you so upset, but whatever it is, we’ll work it out together. Whenever you’re ready to tell us, we’re ready with love, hugs, and hot cocoa._   
_You both deserve the best life has to offer._

_Love,_

_L, N & Z_

_PS: We left you lasagna in the fridge._

Their management might see the five of them as bandmates, and as puppets they could control. But, in reality, they were brothers. And when a brother is hurt, the others will do everything to protect him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!!  
> Wishing you the most amazing day ♥


	22. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hii everyone :)  
> I hope you like the new chapter, which is a bit longer (3,5K) than usual.   
> I unfortunately won't be able to update for the next two weeks, but after that, I'll be back with a bunch of fluff (New Year's Eve is coming after all).  
> xx J
> 
> billie eilish - when the party's over

That night, the five boys all sat down in the living room for a long, good conversation. As promised, Niall had made them hot cocoa and was currently doling out mugs filled to the brim with the warm beverage.

Harry and Louis sat close to another for comfort, as did Zayn and Liam, who did not know yet what Simon had said over the phone. It was not going to be easy on them. If management could not approve of Harry and Louis’ relationship, then it would not be any different for theirs.

Niall sat down next to Zayn, and fixed his gaze on Harry and Louis, patiently waiting for them to talk. Louis’ eyes were glassy and red-rimmed. Harry did not look much better. 

‘’So’’, Harry said, ‘’thank you for, um, the note. It was a nice thing to wake up to.’’

Niall gave him a nod and shot him an encouraging smile.

‘’You’re probably wondering what we were so gutted about’’, Harry continued, pausing for a bit to gauge Louis’ reaction. The boy sat stock-still, his face devoid of any emotion, his tired eyes the only indication that he’d been crying for a long time. Harry took Louis’ hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze, causing the older lad to meet his eyes. A faint smile appeared on his features.

‘’We spent a lovely afternoon together, and then, we received a call from Simon. Louis and I, we were cuddling and it was a video call, so he saw us. It didn’t take him very long to put two and two together, and then…’’ He paused again, trying to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat at the reminder of the harsh words that had been spoken to him and his boyfriend mere hours ago.

‘’He basically told us we couldn’t be together’’, Louis finished for him. ‘’Called this, _us_ , a mistake.’’

‘’Fuck’’, Niall breathed out, his head in his hands. ‘’He can’t do that. Can he do that?’’

‘’I don’t know’’, Harry mumbled. He looked over to Zayn and Liam, whose faces had noticeably paled.   
‘’Zee, Li, I’m sorry’’, he said. He did not need to elaborate any further, for the boys knew what he meant.

Zayn put his arm around Liam’s shoulder and felt his boy leaning into the touch.

Niall gulped down a large sip of cocoa, his face contorting as the hot liquid burned its way down his throat. ‘’Did he at least tell you why?’’

He already knew the answer, of course, but was still clinging to any hope that the entire call had been a mistake, something to be repudiated.

‘’No, but take a wild guess’’, Louis said bitterly. ‘’I’m pretty sure he thinks it will be bad for our band’s reputation. In other words, he’s afraid he’ll make less money out of us if we’re unavailable. We’re just another one of his cash cows.’’

‘’But surely he can’t force all four of you to, I don’t know, not be gay?’’ Niall asked hopefully.

‘’He can and he will’’, Liam spoke up. 

‘’He won’t, babe’’, Zayn whispered to him. ‘’I won’t let him.’’

‘’Zayn’’, Liam said, sighing, ‘’he has all the power. And, we signed a contract.’’

‘’Does that contract tell you who you can and can’t date, though?’’ Niall asked.

Liam shrugged. ‘’Possibly. Most likely. We didn’t read most of it, so it could say anything. We were young, and gutted at the fact that we lost The X Factor. He hooked us up with the contract and we pretty much signed it on the spot.’’

Louis rubbed his eyes. ‘’What do we do now, then?’’

‘’Maybe ask to see the contract again’’, Liam suggested. ‘’And call him again. If he hears about Zayn and I, maybe he’ll change his mind.’’

‘’That’s not very likely, now, is it?’’ Louis said.

‘’It’s worth a shot.’’

Louis shook his head. ‘’It’s not. Look, he knows about me and Haz. He doesn’t know about you two yet. He can’t do anything against you being together if he doesn’t know about it.’’

‘’But you and Harry-‘’ Liam protested.

‘’I need something stronger than this’’, Harry muttered in regards to the hot cocoa. He left his spot on the couch and went to the kitchen, presumably to help himself to ‘something stronger’. 

When Harry returned with a bottle of vodka, Niall exclaimed, ‘’Where the hell did you get that!?’’

‘’You bought it when you pretty much raided the entire grocery store at the start of our holiday’’, Harry told him. He uncapped the bottle and poured a generous amount of vodka into his hot cocoa.

‘’Anyone?’’ he asked, lifting the bottle. 

-

An hour later, they were completely sloshed, the hurt from before numbed, yet not completely forgotten.

‘’Screw that prick!’’ Louis exclaimed as he took another sip of the hot cocoa-vodka mixture, which did not taste bad at all after having drunk a certain amount of alcohol. ‘’Probably needs a dick up his arse, himself!’’

Harry giggled and Niall furiously nodded along with the statement. 

‘’He might have to remove the stick that’s up there first’’, Niall hiccupped. Louis doubled over from laughter and Zayn, who was now sat next to him, patted him on the back.

Liam stood in front of them and put on a shockingly good imitation of their boss. ‘’I am Simon and I have a stick up my arse.’’ He wiggled his own bum and gave it a light slap.

‘’That hottie is my boyfriend!’’ Zayn shouted in glee. ‘’Look at that arse!’’

Louis moved from his place on the couch to show off his own behind. ‘’Excuse me, Zayn, but have you seen _this_ arse that was sculpted by the angels themselves?’’ 

‘’Stop’’, Harry said, his words coming out slurred, as he took a good look at Louis’ bum. ‘’You’re making me horny.’’

Louis shot a wink at him.

‘’No homo, but I’d definitely tap that’’, Niall said. All eyes turned to him. ‘’If you weren’t with Harry and if I wasn’t seeing Victoria’’, he added.

‘’Why thank you, Nialler’’, Louis said in a posh accent, even adding a bow at the end. The alcohol, however, had made his legs wobbly and he fell back down on the couch, directly on Zayn.

‘’Oomph, you’re lucky you didn’t crush the goods’’, Zayn said, glaring at him.

‘’My goods!’’ Liam piped up, mug raised. ‘’To Zayn’s goods!’’ he shouted.

‘’To Zayn’s goods’’, everyone else, except for Zayn himself, repeated. 

‘’Hey, I have an idea’’, Niall said. ‘’Why not prank call Simon?’’

The others nodded approvingly. ‘’We can even tell the bastard Zee and I are in love and fucking’’, Liam added, voice higher on the last word.

Zayn laughed loudly, a sound not heard that often. It was contagious and, well, beautiful.

‘’I vote yes!’’ he exclaimed.

‘’Wait, wait’’, Louis intervened, ‘’is this the smart thing to do?’’

The room went quiet for a few seconds, until all five burst out in laughter simultaneously. 

‘’The smart thing’’, Niall repeated, laughing boisterously at his friend’s comment. Harry giggled out, ‘’You crack me up, Lou.’’

‘’Lads, I’m dialling his number right now’’, Liam announced. The laughter vanished immediately as they all huddled closely together, so everyone could get a good look at the phone’s display.

Simon was a busy man, and it was already nearing eleven, so they could not say for sure that he’d pick up the phone. He did, however.

‘’Evening, Liam’’, he greeted.

Harry let out a giggle at the gruff sound. Louis immediately covered his mouth.

‘’Hello, sir’’, Liam said, trying to sound serious.

Niall whispered, ‘’Did you not call anonymously? I thought it would be a prank call.’’

‘’Why did you call, Liam?’’ Simon asked. He did not sound too patient.

‘’Oh, sir, there is big news’’, he replied. He angled his body to Zayn and cupped his boyfriend’s junk. ‘’Really big’’, he added, snickering. Zayn smacked his arm away and rolled his eyes, still smiling.

‘’Look, I don’t have time for this, Liam. If you-‘’

‘’Zayn and I are dating! And banging!’’ Liam shouted into the speaker.

‘’Banging, shagging, fucking’’, Louis sing-songed, causing Harry to giggle again. The sound did not leave his lips, though, since they were still covered by Louis’ hand.

‘’Yes, all of that’’, Liam said, letting out a loud hiccup. 

‘’Payne, are you drunk?’’ Simon asked sternly.

‘’Noooo’’, Liam droned out. ‘’Only drunk on love. For Zayniekins’’, he said cheerfully.

‘’You are drunk’’, Simon said. ‘’I do not condone this. This is a work-related trip.’’

‘’That’s not what you told us’’, Louis protested.

‘’You’re all there?’’ Simon asked. The annoyance was clearly audible in his tone.

‘’Yup’’, Niall responded. ‘’And we are fucking smashed!’’

Simon groaned. ‘’I will end this conversation. However, do expect a call from me tomorrow. I do not condone this kind of behaviour, the alcohol as well as the… other stuff.’’

‘’Ooh, we’re scared’’, Louis said sarcastically.

‘’Tomlinson, I’m this close to throwing you out of the band right now’’, Simon warned him. ‘’I’ll be heading to bed now. Anything else to say?’’

‘’You’re a little bitch!’’ Harry exclaimed into the speaker. Liam, already having sensed what Harry was going to say in a moment of clarity, quickly ended the call. The last words Simon heard were ‘you’re a’.

The boys were rolling on the floor from laughter, not having a care in the world. Little did they know that in a few hours, they would be laughing no longer.

-

‘’We’re fucked’’, came Louis’ simple conclusion five hours and two glasses of water later as thoughts of the previous night flashed through his head. ‘’Like, completely and utterly fucked.’’

Harry hit him with a pillow to shut him up. He grumbled something that was not audible since he was still half asleep.

Louis groaned. ‘’Harry, wake up! This is a bloody emergency.’’

More inaudible grumbling from Harry’s part.

‘’Please, Haz. If you don’t wake up now, I’m gonna take some serious measures’’, Louis said threateningly.

Harry scoffed, yet made no movement. Louis threw the sheets off him and started prodding his boyfriend’s sides with his fingers.

‘’Lou-ee!’’ Harry exclaimed, suddenly sounding much more awake. ‘’Stop it! _Now!_ ’’

‘’Nope’’, Louis said, popping the ‘p’. ‘’You wouldn’t listen to me, so now I’m going to make you listen.’’

‘’Mm, I’m listening’’, Harry said. ‘’That stern voice of yours is kinda hot.’’ He could feel his cock stirring in his pants.

‘’Come again?’’ Louis asked, surprised by this new piece of information.

‘’I would like that’’, Harry drawled. Louis wondered if the alcohol was still in the boy’s system.

‘’No time for any funny business. We have other business to attend to’’, Louis told him, although he would rather spent his morning a different way, a way Harry seemed very interested in.

‘’What business?’’ Harry asked, his face rumpled and his hair looking like he’d just come out of a hurricane.

‘’You don’t remember?’’

Harry shook his head, humming, ‘’Too tired.’’

‘’Well’’, Louis said, scratching his head, ‘’we called Simon and told him Zayn and Liam were banging. And, shagging, and fucking.’’

Harry’s eyes widened. He sat upright. ‘’Fuck, did I really call him a little bitch?’’

‘’You did’’, Louis replied. When he saw how distressed Harry looked at the knowledge of what had happened, he added, ‘’but I don’t think he heard that last part. Liam had hung up by then.’’

Harry let himself fall back on the bed, his head hitting the headboard in the process. The smack hurt, but he wasn’t focused on any of that. Like Louis had said, there was business to attend to.

‘’He’s going to punish us for this, isn’t he?’’ Harry asked, dreading the answer.

Louis nodded. ‘’I’m going to wake the other lads. We need to set up a game plan.’’

As it turned out, the other three boys were already awake. They had not made Harry and Louis’ effort of returning to their bedrooms, but had instead slept on the couch – and, in Niall’s case, on the floor.

‘’So’’, they heard Niall say in a voice that was way too loud for five in the morning, especially when everyone had drunk the night before, ‘’I say we move to Australia.’’ His attempt at an Australian accent was laughable, as the Irish shone throughout.

‘’Live with the kangaroos and the crocodiles, and eat vegemite and whatnot’’, he said, making wild gestures with his hands.

‘’I vote against this idea’’, Zayn said dryly. ‘’How about we start by Googling how to dispose of a body?’’

‘’You can’t be serious’’, Liam said, although the look on Zayn’s face was not a joking one. ‘’Why am I even dating you?’’

Zayn shrugged. ‘’It’s ‘cause I’m hot?’’

‘’Fair point’’, Liam responded, nodding.

‘’How about we keep living in the UK and do not kill anyone?’’ Louis suggested, sitting down on the floor, next to Niall. 

‘’I thought my plan was pretty solid’’, Niall pouted. Harry patted him on the back, saying, ‘’It was, although I’d prefer New Zealand.’’

‘’If we can’t think of anything else, Zayn’s plan definitely wins’’, Louis interjected. 

‘’Thanks, bro’’, Zayn said to him, hands clasped on his heart. ‘’I got you, bro’’, Louis replied.

‘’So, the plan?’’ Liam spoke up, reminding them that they still had thinking to do.

‘’Right’’, Louis said, ‘’it’s just past five right now. I’d reckon he’ll call the earliest possible, so, we have until seven, maybe eight to make a plan.’’

‘’Won’t he wait a bit longer?’’ Liam asked. ‘’He did think we were drunk.’’

‘’Because we were’’, Harry reminded him. They had not exactly reached the point of full drunkenness, but they were definitely past ‘tipsy’.

‘’He literally told us we couldn’t be with a boy romantically, so I’m pretty sure he won’t care whether we get enough sleep or not’’, Louis said. Need I remind you all that he kept us in the studio until early in the morning?’’

The others agreed. As Louis mentioned those things, they yet again had to face the fact that their management was toxic. They did not care about the boys’ health. They only cared that they were well enough to go on stage night after night, and had just enough energy left to record songs after their performances. They only wanted money.

‘’Can’t we switch managements?’’ Niall offered. ‘’Not just because of the call, but… I love singing for our fans, but the cost is pretty high. They exploit us. Before this trip, I hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a year!’’

Harry shook his head in reply. ‘’We signed a contract. We can’t just leave, as much as I’d love to. They won’t let us break the contract. At least, not as long as they think they’ll still be getting money out of us.’’

‘’Wait, Haz, that’s actually brilliant!’’ Louis said, snapping his fingers. His eyes lit up.

‘’What?’’ Harry asked.

‘’The money part! He _needs_ us.’’

‘’Yeah, but he owns this band’’, Liam told him, ‘’he can make us do almost anything he wants.’’  
Louis’ face fell at the realisation that Liam was right.

‘’Let’s just wait until he calls and see what he has to say.’’, Zayn piped up. There’s no point in discussing what to do, unless we know what’s on Simon’s mind.’’

‘’We know what’s on his mind: money’’, Louis replied.

‘’Yeah, but we can’t do anything right now except wait and see what happens. Let’s just sleep for a bit or summat.’’

‘’I don’t think I can sleep’’, Harry whispered. ‘’Too nervous.’’

Niall nodded in agreement. ‘’Me neither, which is saying a lot. I usually sleep like a rose.’’

‘’So we’ve noticed’’, Liam said. ‘’How about we go for a short walk? Let the fresh air clear our heads a bit.’’

Although none of them had a fondness for going outside when the temperature had hit below zero, they agreed it was the best thing to do.

As they trudged through the snow, they desperately tried not to think about Simon and the reprimands that awaited them.

‘’Hey, Niall’’, Harry said, ‘’you haven’t told us about your date with Victoria yet.’’

‘’I figured yesterday wasn’t really the best time to bring it up’’, Niall answered, shrugging. When he saw Harry’s guilty look, he added, ‘’Not your fault.

‘’In short, the date was very nice. Victoria is great. She’s so funny and down-to-earth.’’

‘’So, there will be a follow up?’’ Harry asked, mustering a grin on his face. He was still upset about Simon’s words, but he was truly happy for his friend, and he wanted to show that.

‘’Definitely’’, Niall said, smiling broadly. ‘’Soon, hopefully. Maybe we could go on a triple date?’’ he suggested.

‘’A triple date, huh? I think I’d like that’’, Harry told him. ‘’The others will, too.’’ They looked behind, at the three other boys, who were currently trying to create as many insulting nicknames for their boss as possible.

‘’I’m really sorry, H, about everything’’, Niall said, voice sincere and laced with sadness for his friends. ‘’It’s not fair that I can tell Simon about Victoria and he wouldn’t even do as much as bat an eyelash, yet if she’d been Victor, there would’ve been a huge problem.’’

‘’It is what it is’’, Harry said, trying his best not to sound too sorrowful. He wanted his friend to be happy, and to not worry about the others too much. ‘’But, thank you, Niall. I appreciate it.’’

Niall nodded in reply, kicking a heap of the powdery snow up into the air. For the rest of the walk, they continued talking about Niall’s date with Victoria. After a day like yesterday, it was nice to talk about some happier things, too.

-

As predicted, Simon called at eight in the morning. ‘’He really doesn’t care about us getting enough sleep’’, Louis huffed as Liam scrambled to get his phone.

They had just set down at the dining table for breakfast when the loud ringtone had pierced the air. Dread coiled in the pit of Harry’s stomach as he watched Liam press ‘accept’ on the call. There was no doubt in his mind that the other boys felt the exact same. Even Niall, who had nothing to fear himself, yet had always been one of the most empathetic people Harry had ever encountered.

The phone call was not as bad as expected.

‘’I might have overreacted a bit upon hearing of your, um, special friendships. For that, I apologise’’, Simon had said. ‘’I will not oblige you to end those.’’

Louis had sighed in relief and immediately connected his lips with Harry’s for a few seconds, brushing his fingers gently through Harry’s curls.

‘’However’’, Simon continued, ‘’for obvious marketing purposes, we cannot have the public know about your’’, he paused for a bit, probably trying to search for a word, ‘’relationships.’’ That last word was said with perceptible reluctance.

‘’You must keep this between yourselves, understood?’’

‘’Understood’’, they mumbled. Although it was far from ideal, at least they weren’t forced to break up right this instant. Whatever Simon threw at them next, they could deal with when they returned to England.

‘’There is no use discussing further things over the phone; we will do that in person, when the trip is over’’, Simon told them. ‘’But, for now, everything’s clear? You won’t tell anyone?’’

‘’I told me mum’’, Louis said honestly.

Simon sighed, the sound carried through the phone. ‘’Family’s fine. No one else, though’’, Simon warned them.

Harry decided it was best not to tell his boss about Clara and how he had told the woman about his relationship with Louis. She had no idea who the boys were anyway, so it was not that important.

‘’I’ll let you get back to whatever it was that you were doing’’, Simon said. ‘’Enjoy the rest of your trip. But, not too much. You still have some songwriting to do’’, he added.

The call ended soon after.

All of their heartbeats had slowed down significantly after the call was over. The couples could still be together, albeit not publicly. That would not be a problem here, however, as no one had recognised them so far, except for Victoria. Simon had not even mentioned the fact that the boys had a bit too much to drink the previous night!

‘’Now we can properly enjoy breakfast’’, Liam said, satisfied with how things had gone. Of course, there were still some things to talk about, but that was for later, when they were back home. For now, they could relax. 

Maybe that feeling of peace and relaxation was due to the fact that none of them thought Simon would actually force them to hide their relationships from the outside world. Maybe in the beginning, but eventually, he’d let them come out, right? At least, that’s what they told themselves as they dug into the food and decided not to question why Simon had been a much more understanding all of a sudden.

‘’Guys’’, Niall piped up enthusiastically, ‘’there’s still some vodka left! Anyone want someone?’’

Everyone else let out a loud groan. No more vodka for them for a long, long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :D  
> Kudo's and comments are much appreciated!  
> I hope you're having a great day ♥  
> xx J


	23. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooo!  
> It's been a while, but I'm back. This chapter is short, so I hope to update a longer one soon. As you may have noticed, the story is coming to an end. There will be about 2 chapters more and then an epilogue.  
> Thank you for your patience and for reading this story, it means a lot to me!  
> I hope you like the new chapter.  
> xx J
> 
> Queen - Killer Queen (Or the equally awesome 5SOS cover)

Christmas went by fast, and before they knew it, they were counting down the days until New Years’ Eve. Niall spent most of his days with Victoria, knowing he wouldn’t get to see her for a long time when they returned to London. Liam and Zayn went on more than one ski date. Harry, his recent injury still in his mind, refrained from going up – or, rather, down - the slopes. Instead, he was happy to spend his days with Louis. They spent their time walking, talking, writing some more songs for the new album, and baking Christmas cookies, the last-mentioned protested to by Louis at first, who thought it was an absurd thing to do after the holidays had already finished. 

Now, they were sat in one of the comfortable armchairs bordering the windows at Clara’s, enjoying the pretty view. The snowing was relentless; it was surprising there had not been any risk of being snowed in yet.

Although the armchair was big enough to fit the both of them, Louis was sprawled out on Harry’s lap as they watched the white flurries dancing their way to the snow-covered earth. Clara had offered them both a cup of hot cocoa, which they were now slowly sipping from, trying not to burn their tongue.

‘’Lou’’, Harry announced, ‘’I wanna do something for Clara.’’

Louis nodded. He had no idea what his boyfriend had in mind, but if he wanted to do something good for the woman who had been so warm and welcoming to all of them since the very beginning of their stay, he was all in.

‘’What are you thinking of?’’ he asked, shuffling on Harry’s lap so he was more upright and could meet his eyes.

‘’Can I tell you a story?’’ Harry asked in reply. Louis nodded. 

Harry told him everything about Emilia, who was currently residing in Vienna with her daughter, about Phillip and Ben, as Louis listened intently to every word.

‘’What a fucking prick, that Phillip. Proper arsehole, he is’’, Louis commented. Harry could not disagree. Who in their right mind would leave the girl they had impregnated and their future child? It was so unfair. Harry still felt sad for Clara as he recalled the story. That woman was one of the nicest people he had ever encountered, and she deserved way more than she had got.

‘’What’s your plan?’’ Louis asked, sensing that whatever Harry had in mind related to Clara’s story.

Harry looked around to make sure Clara wasn’t nearby, before answering , ‘’I want to find Ben. Bring him here for the new year.’’

Clara had told them about the New Year’s party she would be hosting at her restaurant, and had invited them and the other boys. The party was a tradition that Clara had been executing for the past twenty years. Food and drinks were free. It was Clara’s gift to her village. Now, Harry thought, it was Clara’s who deserved to be on the receiving end for once.

‘’I’m in’’, Louis said, earning a smile from Harry. ‘’But, how are we going to do it? We know nothing about him, just his first name. And, we can’t exactly just ask Clara for information without raising any suspicions.’’

‘’No, we can’t’’, Harry admitted, frowning. ‘’It is a small village, however. Everyone knows everything about everyone.’’

Louis tapped his chin as he pondered Harry’s words. ‘’You’re probably right. Someone is bound to know about Ben.’’

‘’ _Ich habe immer Recht,_ ’’, said Harry, the words coming out in a vague German accent. ‘’I’ve been trying to teach myself a bit of German with the lovely help of dictionaries and Google’’, he added upon seeing Louis’ confused look.

‘’Hmm, say something else in German’’, Louis told him.

‘’ _Wir sind jetzt in Österreich und es schneit_ ’’, Harry said with audible pride.

‘’I didn’t understand one word of that’’, Louis responded, ‘’but I’m assuming you said something very romantic about me. About my eyes, maybe? My arse?’’

‘’I said that we’re in Austria and that it’s snowing’’, Harry replied truthfully, suddenly feeling a lot less proud.

‘’And they say romance is dead’’, Louis said, sighing exasperatedly.

‘’Sorry?’’ Harry replied, blushing.

‘’And here I was, thinking you’d been writing poems in German about me’’, Louis began. ‘’But nooo’’, he droned. ‘’Instead, you’ve been talking about snow.’’

‘’Talking about snow, but thinking about you?’’ Harry tried.

Louis rolled his eyes fondly, shifting again and leaning back against Harry’s body. ‘’Nice try, Haz. What other languages have you been learning?’’

‘’Mm’’, Harry hummed as he nuzzled his nose against Louis’ neck. ‘’Enough to say _Ich liebe dich_.’’ He pressed a line of kisses along the column of Louis’ neck, temporarily forgetting they’re in public. ‘’ _Je t’aime_.’’ More kisses. Louis let out a soft moan at the feather-light touches of lips against his skin.

‘’ _Ti amo. Te amo._ ’’ Louis tilted his head to the side to expose more skin for his boy to kiss. ‘’ _Jag älskar dig_.’’ Harry brushed away a few strands of soft, brown hair so he could kiss Louis a bit higher. ‘’ _Mo ghrá thú._ ’’

Louis chuckled. ‘’Now I’m convinced you just Google’d ways to say I love you in every language.’’

Harry smiled against Louis’ neck. ‘’Niall actually taught me the last one.’’

‘’Well, I wouldn’t mind you telling me you love me in French every now and then. Quite frankly, I’d let you take me right here, right now, but we have a job to attend to.’’

Harry smirked. He slid his hand down Louis’ thigh when he was sure no one was looking in their direction.

‘’Not that kind of job, you perv!’’ Louis said on a laugh. ‘’We need to find Ben, remember?’’

Harry nodded. ‘’You’re right. But afterwards…’’

‘’Other stuff’’, Louis finished for him, sending him a wink.

‘’Okay, so who are we going to talk to about Clara and Ben?’’ Harry asked.

Louis thought about it for a moment. ‘’Well, as you said yourself, probably everyone in this small village knows about Ben, even though he no longer lives here. We can ask anyone, but it would be best to ask someone who we can trust to not tell Clara we’ve been asking about him.’’

They were silent for a while, before simultaneously exclaiming, ‘’Victoria!’’

-

After a call with Niall, whom they had to plead to in order to even get to speak with Victoria, they had agreed to meet up at their holiday home. While Victoria assented to it immediately, Niall had to be convinced. Niall would much rather continue his date – in private – seeing as their trip was slowly approaching it’s end and he and Victoria did not have much time left together.

‘’How are we going to play this?’’ Harry asked. He and Louis were cuddled up on the couch, awaiting Niall and Victoria’s arrival.

‘’What do you mean?’’

‘’Well, _this_.’’ Harry pointed between him and Louis. ‘’Us. Victoria doesn’t know we’re together.’’

Louis bit his lip. He had not even thought of that. Ever since he and Harry had got together, they had not had to hide anything from anyone yet. The other boys knew, as did some family members. Even Simon knew, unfortunately. Nor Clara, nor her restaurant’s patrons, knew that the two of them were anything more than an ordinary couple. Victoria, however, _knew_ about their band, about their fame.  
She was a fan, even. Louis told Harry as much.

‘’I know’’, Harry said. ‘’I fully trust Niall and Victoria seems great, but we don’t know her.’’

Louis nodded. ‘’Agreed. We can’t know if she’ll post something about us online. I’m pretty sure Simon would kill us if that happened.’’

‘’Probably torture us first’’, Harry remarked.

‘’So, we’ll act like we’re not together?’’ Louis asked.

‘’It’s probably for the best’’, Harry replied, creating some distance between their bodies. He had no idea how they were going to pull it off. He knew that if he took but one look at Louis, his eyes would betray him. Victoria was sure to notice.

‘’They’re not here yet, silly’’, Louis said, pulling Harry back into him. ‘’I want a kiss’’, he added, pouting, ‘’since I won’t be getting any for at least an hour.’’

Harry smiled and pressed his lips to Louis’, setting loose once again the butterflies in his stomach. He couldn’t imagine ever not feeling this way whenever Louis looked at him, kissed him, touched him. 

A few seconds later, however, the sound of the front door opening echoed through the room. Harry and Louis instantly broke apart again.

‘’Hi, guys!’’ Harry greeted them in a high-pitched voice. He wasn’t off to a very good start.

‘’Hiya’’, Victoria said. She smiled at them, genuinely happy to see the boys. Niall looked disgruntled to say the least next to her. It was obvious he still was not too amused at having to leave their romantic date.

‘’How are you?’’ Louis asked her in a friendly tone.

‘’Good, good’’, she answered politely as she shrugged off her coat, which Niall immediately took from her. ‘’Busy with work, but I like my job, so it’s not too bad. And you?’’

‘’We’re doing fine, thanks for asking’’, Louis answered. Afterwards, he questioned whether it was too much of a couple-y thing to do, answering questions for both Harry and himself, but if it was, then the damage had already been done.

Victoria’s smile widened. 

‘’Please, take a seat’’, Harry told her. She sat down in one of the plump chair near the couch. Niall went into the kitchen, muttering something about getting something to drink.

‘’So, what did you want to ask me?’’ Victoria inquired. 

‘’I’m sure you know Clara?’’ Harry began.

Victoria nodded vigorously. ‘’Of course. Everyone here does. Such an admirable woman, she is.’’

Harry, satisfied with this answer, carried on. ‘’Do you know anything about her daughter, Emilia?’’

‘’She’s a couple of years older than me, but yeah, we went to the same school. She’s just as much of a sweetheart as her mother is. Last time I heard about her, she had a kid herself.’’

Harry nodded. ‘’Well, we were wondering if you know anything about a certain Ben? His last name, maybe, or where he resides…’’ he trailed off.

Victoria furrows her brow. ‘’Yes, but… Why are you asking me this?’’

Niall returned with two glasses of water and wordlessly gave one to Victoria. His expression had softened and he seemed less displeased to be there than he had at first.

‘’What is he asking you?’’ Niall asked her.

‘’About Ben’’, Victoria replied, which did not exactly answer Niall’s question. The lad had no idea who this ‘Ben’ guy was.

‘’Clara told me about him during our first days here’’, Harry explained. ‘’About him and his brother. And how he was the love of her life, but she lost him.’’

Victoria nodded sadly. ‘’I know about that. I feel so bad for her. She’s such a sweet soul.’’

‘’That’s why we were thinking… We want to find Ben.’’

Victoria’s eyes widened at Harry’s words. ‘’You’re kidding, right?’’

Harry shook his head in reply.

Victoria brushed a strand of dark hair away that had fallen in front of her eyes. ‘’Well, fuck’’, she said. Harry noticed how much more comfortable she’d become with him since their first encounter. He liked that.

‘’I’m in’’, she announced all of a sudden. Neither Harry nor Louis had expected that. ‘’Let’s stalk him!’’ she exclaimed. 

Niall looked at her with pride. ‘’That’s my girl.’’

‘’I’m literally the best online-stalker there ever was’’, Victoria told them.

‘’Wait, have you ever stalked me before?’’ Niall asked.

‘’Niall James Horan is an Irish singer. He rose to success as a member of the British-Irish boyband _One Direction_. The band was formed in the British singing competition _The X Factor_ , for which Horan auditioned as a solo act’’, she rattled off.

‘’I’ll take that as a yes’’, Niall said. ‘’I don’t know if I should be flattered, turned on, or a bit creeped out.’’

Victoria shrugged. ‘’Probably all of ‘em.’’

She turned her attention back to Harry and Louis. ‘’Well, what are we waiting for? Grab your laptops, we’re doing some Facebook-stalking!’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I wish you a very lovely day :)  
> And, to stick with what happened in the chapter, I want to say: Ik hou van jullie.  
> The dutchies will know haha!  
> xx J


	24. Chapter 23, part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, lovelies :)  
> I'm so sorry I've been slow with this update. I didn't have much inspiration or energy the past few weeks.  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter nevertheless. There's a second part coming (hopefully) soon, and then there will be an epilogue.
> 
> My apologies if there are any mistakes in this chapter regarding New Year's Eve traditions in Austria. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this story, I really appreciate it!
> 
> xx J
> 
> Gavin James - Glow // Kygo, Imagine Dragons - Born To Be Yours

The relentless snowing came to an end on the last day of the year. The temperature rose above zero, causing the thick layer of snow to melt away. Even nature was planning on starting the new year with a clean slate.

Clara’s restaurant was bustling with people as last-minute preparations for the party were made. Garlands were haphazardly hung from the ceiling, and a couple of men in their late sixties were trying to fix them. The Christmas tree was still stood proudly in the restaurant’s main room. Even though the holidays were already over, the tree served as great decoration. 

In the kitchen, Clara was busy cooking pork ribs and chops and brewing a punch that consisted of red wine, cinnamon and sugar. It was a tradition in Austria, just as the suckling pig that was roasted for the special occasion. 

Harry had offered his services as chef, but quickly declined the task of roasting the pig. Instead, he was put on dessert duty. He was busy turning a rectangular piece of marzipan into a pig – that specific animal sure was a symbol of New Year’s Eve in Austria, he thought – when Louis entered the kitchen, startling him.

‘’It looks delicious’’, Louis gushed as his eyes raked over the plates of – you guessed it – pig-shaped cookies and chocolates.

‘’Thanks’’, Harry replied, preening at the compliment. ‘’Don’t eat anything, though.’’

‘’Who said I was talking about the food?’’ Louis said as he approached Harry. He dropped a kiss on his boyfriend’s cheek. ‘’Something, or rather, _someone_ else is looking pretty darn delicious as well.’’

Harry caught Clara looking amusedly at the two boys before her gaze turned rueful. He wondered if seeing them reminded her of Ben and herself. The thought reminded him of what was to come later that evening and excitement rushed through his veins.

Due to Harry being temporarily distracted, Louis had managed to snatch one of the many chocolates. 

‘’Lou!’’ Harry screeched as he caught Louis chewing guiltily on the sugary treat.

‘’Sorry?’’ the older lad tried. ‘’You know you shouldn’t put me in a room with sweets!’’

‘’Put you?’’ Harry said. ‘’You walked in here, by yourself, voluntarily.’’

Louis waved his hand in the air. ‘’Details, my love, details.’’

‘’You’re lucky you’re cute’’, Harry told him, attempting to sound stern. But, really, who was he kidding? He couldn’t be annoyed with the angel standing in front of him even if he tried.

Louis nodded. ‘’I know, I know.’’ He leaned in closer so he could whisper in Harry’s ear, ‘’Might need to punish me later, anyway. You know, just for good measure.’’

A growl almost left Harry’s throat. He, however, refused to get hard while on baking duty. Especially when Clara was so nearby.

‘’Might just have to do that later, baby boy’’, he whispered back, making sure Louis was the only one who could hear, before creating more space between them.

‘’For now, though, you should go back to napkin duty’’, Harry said. Louis might be shit in the kitchen, but he could fold a _great_ origami crane.

Louis pouted. ‘’There isn’t any food on napkin duty, though. If you’d just let me take a few…’’ He pointed at the pig-shaped cookies.

‘’You’re insatiable’’, Harry said, sighing. 

‘’That I am’’, Louis retorted before grabbing two cookies and walking toward the door, shooting a sultry wink in Harry’s direction.

Harry balled his fists and closed his eyes, trying not to give into his longing to run after Louis and ask the boy to take him apart in the loo. He had marzipan and chocolates to make. Louis was such a bloody tease, though.

It took him almost an entire minute to calm down, but, in the end, he managed. He looked down at his fingernails that were a soft shade of pink. He smiled at the sight before continuing to shaping the marzipan into the desired form.

‘’I like it’’, Clara said after a few minutes of working in silence, wiping her sweaty brow with the back of her hand. ‘’It suits you.’’

Harry looked up in bewilderment. ‘’Huh?’’

‘’The nail varnish. It suits you’’, Clara said. She smiled warmly at him.

‘’Oh, the… the varnish. Yes. Thank you’’, Harry said happily. Although the boys’ positive responses to his love for some things that were considered girly had gave him a sense of confidence, he was still afraid of what others would think. Therefore, Clara’s words meant more to him than he could hope to express.

‘’I can’t remember the last time I painted my nails’’, Clara told him. She chuckled. ‘’I either don’t have the time or I forget.’’

‘’I can bring a bottle of polish with me tonight?’’ Harry suggested. ‘’I’ll paint them for you.’’

Clara nodded. ‘’That would be lovely, sweet boy.’’ 

Harry wished his mother were here. She and Clara would definitely get along greatly.

‘’Dessert looks great’’, Clara told him, nodding appreciatively at the rows of bakes goods and sweets.

‘’Thanks. So does dinner’’, Harry replied. The sight of the pork chops, garnished with fresh horseradish and lentils, made his mouth water.

‘’Thank you’’, Clara answered gratefully. She looked positively disheveled; her hair was messy, her clothes were wrinkled, and her face was flushed. She also looked happy, which was way more important.

‘’Are you excited for tonight?’’ Harry asked her.

Clara nodded with fervour. ‘’Absolutely. It’s great to see the entire village together, celebrating. Plus, it gives me a reason to dress up nicely.’’

Harry smiled. ‘’And wear nail polish.’’

‘’And that’’, Clara agreed. 

-

In between chores, Harry managed to find a few minutes time to ring his sister. He had spoken his mum the previous night, but unfortunately, had not been able to speak to Gemma, since she was out with friends.

Gemma picked up on the first ring.

‘’What’s up, little bro?’’ Her voice was clear, but did not sound as cheerful as usual. While Harry preferred Christmas, Gemma had always had a thing for New Year’s Eve. Something to do with fresh starts and new possibilities. He could see where she’s coming from. However, right now, she did not sound as happy as she usually was on her favourite day of the year.

‘’Busy prepping for tonight’’, he told her.

‘’If it weren’t New Year’s Eve, I’d make a sex joke’’, Gemma replied.

Harry rolled his eyes, but laughed nonetheless. His sister was an idiot. But, a lovely one at that.

‘’How are you doing?’’ he asked her. ‘’You sound a little… off.’’

‘’That’s because I am. I feel sick’’, Gemma answered truthfully. People would often just tell others they were okay, even though that wasn’t the case, simply because it’s easier that way. Harry and Gemma, however, never waved anything off and were always truthful with one another. Well, Harry hadn’t immediately told his sister when he realised he was gay, but that was more complicated. 

Harry furrowed his brow in worry. ‘’How come?’’

‘’Period cramps’’, Gemma said. Again: they were – almost – always truthful about literally anything. ‘’They’re a pain in the arse.’’

Harry felt sympathy for her. Although he had never experienced those cramps himself, he could only imagine how much they would suck. Especially if there was also blood leaking out of you. He cringed a bit at the thought.

‘’I’m sorry, Gems. That sucks. Especially since today’s your day.’’

He remembered discussing menstruation in his biology class in high school. Some of the boys in his year, being teenagers, could not take the subject serious and made jokes that were a bit too offensive. After they were taught about periods, those boys would bring it up anytime a girl in their class said something in a tone that was not one hundred percent chipper. ‘’Aye, you must be on your period!’’ they’d shout. Harry had always rolled his eyes at those stupid comments.

Growing up with an older sister, he’d dealt with periods before, and knew they were natural. And, like Gemma had said, a pain in the arse. To help her out a bit, he’d go to the store to buy her pads or tampons –whichever she preferred at the moment. He would always add a large bag of Minstrels to the cart as well, for which he paid with his own pocket money.

‘’It’s fine. Well, it’s not, but you know… I have my fave hoodie and comfiest sweatpants on’’, Gemma said. 

‘’Don’t forget to eat lots of chocolate’’, Harry told her. ‘’Doctor’s orders.’’

‘’Oh, so you’re a doctor now?’’ Gemma said teasingly. ‘’Last time I checked you decided to forego college to be a singer.’’

‘’Well, if I hadn’t been put in One Direction, I would’ve become a doctor.’’

‘’You filthy liar, you hated bio and chem class’’, Gemma said on a laugh. ‘’Ow, fuck, cramp!’’

Harry could not see her, but he imagined her sitting on the couch, in her Mickey Mouse hoodie and black sweats, clutching her stomach.

‘’Shit, Gems, is there anything I can do for you?’’ he asked, concerned. He felt guilty for not being there to comfort her.

‘’No, no, it’s fine. It’ll pass’’, Gemma croaked out.

‘’Deep breaths’’, Harry told her. He could hear her taking a sharp inhale and exhaling after a few seconds.

After a minute or so, the majority of the pain seemed to have vanished, and Gemma asked, ‘’How are things with your boy?’’

Harry sighed happily. ‘’Amazing. Wonderful. He’s so great. I’m so, so lucky to have him as my boyfriend.’’

‘’I’m gonna puke’’, Gemma said.

Instantly, all of Harry’s worry returned. ‘’What? Are the cramps back? Are you okay? Is anyone with you to help?’’

Gemma chuckled. ‘’Chill, baby bro. I’m not actually going to puke. It was a joke, because of what you said.’’

‘’Oh’’, Harry said. ‘’Right, I see.’’

‘’But, that’s great, H. I’m glad things are going so well with the two of you. You deserve it. Truly. Both of you do.’’

‘’Thanks, sis. That means a lot to me. So, what are your plans for tonight? Any wild parties to attend to?’’ Harry asked.

‘’Nah, not this year. I’m looking forward to a cosy night in with mum and Robin’’, Gemma answered. ‘’Can’t believe I’m actually telling you this, but I wish you were here, baby bro.’’

‘’Aww, Gemma loves me’’, Harry teased her.

‘’Aaand, suddenly I’m very glad you’re on the other side of the Channel.’’

‘’No, you’re not. I wish I could see you three tonight, too’’, Harry admitted. ‘’Wish you were here in Austria, celebrating with us.’’

‘’That would be pretty awesome. Maybe next year?’’ she suggested.

Harry nodded, although, of course, she could not see that.

‘’How are the preparations for Clara’s grand party coming along?’’ Gemma asked. Harry had told her all about the lovely woman and her New Year’s Eve tradition.

‘’It’s chaos, but it’s somehow working’’, Harry said simply. It was true. In the restaurant’s dining area, festive decorations cluttered every surface, yet the tables had already been cleared – except for those that formed a long row along the windows that was needed to place the food later – and all the fairy lights had been strung from the ceiling and walls. Harry was confident the rest of the chores would be done before the party began. 

‘’I probably do have to get back to the kitchen’’, Harry told her. He wanted to talk to his sister a bit longer, even if it was just for another minute, but he knew Clara was stressed out about the evening and he needed to lend her a hand.

‘’Of course’’, said Gemma, ‘’go help Clara out. Send me a pic of the food when you’re done.’’

‘’Will do’’, Harry responded. ‘’You go eat some chocolate, wrap yourself in a blanket or two and put on a nice film.’’

Gemma chuckled. ‘’I will. We’ll call you later, but Happy New Year anyway, baby bro.’’

‘’Happy New Year, sis. Have a great night.’’

Harry pocketed his phone after they had hung up and returned to the kitchen. It was a battlefield there. Niall had taken over the chore of making the remainder of the chocolates, and it did not go well. The Irish lad was a great chef, but he was incapable of shaping the sweets. Splatters of molten chocolate littered the entire counter. Harry internally sighed at the realization that he was supposed to clean up that hot mess later.

He shooed Niall away, and told him to go find Liam and Zayn, who were supposed to pick up Ben. With Victoria’s help and impressive – yet scary – stalking skills, they managed to track down the man on Facebook and send him a message, explaining their plan for him to attend Clara’s New Year’s Eve party.

Harry had not known what to expect from the man. Maybe he had already forgot about Clara, although he had seriously doubted that. Perhaps he never used his Facebook account and would not read the message. A small part of him dared to hope that the outcome would be positive.

And, it had been.

Within a day, Ben had messaged them back, saying he would be delighted to see Clara again. He had no plans for New Year’s Eve as of yet, being divorced and having no children to spend the evening with, and since he left relatively nearby, he said he would be able to make it to the tiny village before the start of the party.

Harry snuck a glance at the clock hanging above the kitchen’s entry. He did some quick math in his head. If he was correct, then Ben would be at their holiday home with Liam and Zayn by now. The boys promised they’d give him a warm welcome and offer him plenty to drink and eat.

In a few hours, Clara would be reunited with her love, her person. Harry had no idea how she would react. From her stories about her time with Ben, he had gathered that she still missed him and regretted letting him go. He hoped she would not be angry with Harry upon finding out what he had done. He just wanted to do something great for her, and hoped she’d appreciate it.

Nerves fluttered in his belly as he worked on the chocolates, not even paying attention to his work, just going through the motions.

Just a few more hours to go…

In an attempt to distract himself, he thought about Louis. His Ben. He had never liked anyone as much as he liked Louis. Mere weeks ago, the older boy had no clue about Harry’s feelings. They had been mates. Of course, they still were. Had become closer, even. But, things were different now. Harry was in love with his best mate, and he could _say it out loud_ now. To make things better, his best mate loved him back.

Although he had some worries and concerns about managing the relationship when they got back home, he mostly felt warmth and happiness as he thought about the past days he had spent cuddled up to his boyfriend, able to kiss him whenever he pleased. Which, to be utterly honest, was quite a lot. What could he say? Louis was incredibly sweet and incredibly good-looking.

Before he knew it, he had finished preparing the sugary treats. Thinking about Louis did help him, which was pretty great, since it was one of his favourite pastimes. 

He had just started wiping down the counter when real-life Louis walked in for the second time that day. As much as he loved daydreaming about his boyfriend, Harry found that nothing compared to seeing him in the flesh. He managed to take Harry’s breath away every single time.

‘’Hiya, love’’, Louis greeted him as his arms enveloped Harry from behind.

‘’Hey you’’, Harry said, a rush of warmth spreading throughout his entire body.

‘’We have to get ready soon or else we’ll be late to the party’’, Louis told him. ‘’We still have to shower.’’

‘’We can shower together to save time. And, water, of course’’, Harry said, smirking. 

‘’You little minx!’’ Louis exclaimed, feigning shock. ‘’You do make an excellent point’’, he continued.

‘’I always do.’’

‘’You’re wearing Christmas pants that have on them’’, Louis pointed out, ‘’because you said that every part of your body wants to be festive.’’

‘’And I stand by that point.’’

‘’You literally have Father Christmas on your dick.’’

‘’Jealous, are we, Lou-eh?’’ Harry said slyly.

‘’ _As if!_ ’’

‘’Okay, okay, Cher Horowitz.’’

Louis rolled his eyes. ‘’I’ll help you clean.’’

They were on their own, since Clara had gone out to help place the finishing touches on the decorations in the restaurant’s dining area. Harry had tried to get her to leave early so she could have some time to herself and have plenty of time left to get ready, but she would not budge. A feisty woman, she was.

‘’You don’t have to, Lou-‘’ Harry tried.

Louis shook his head and let go of his boyfriend. ‘’But I want to. I get to spend time with you and see you bent over the sink. I’m perfectly content with this.’’

‘’Alright’’, Harry said, smiling. He handed Louis a wet cloth.

‘’This won’t take long, I promise’’, Harry told him.

‘’Oh, we’ll take our sweet time. The later we’re done here, the bigger the chance of you joining me in the shower’’, Louis said, throwing in a wink.

Harry chuckled. ‘’Who’s the little minx now?’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I truly hope you enjoyed it.  
> The phone call part might have been a bit weird and out of the blue for some people, especially the part about periods. I realised that in none of the books I have ever read in my 18 years of life mentioned menstruation (except for the fic Soft Hands, Fast Feet Can't Lose, which is bloody amazing), so I thought I'd go ahead and include it in this fanfic.
> 
> I wish all of you a very lovely day ♥
> 
> xx J


	25. Chapter 23, part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies!
> 
> Apart from the epilogue, this is the final chapter of the story. Thank you all so much for reading this, even though it's August and this is a Christmas/New Year's fic (I, myself, have been reading Christmas fics since July haha!).  
> I really hope you like this final chapter, because I enjoyed writing it a lot, especially the end.  
> Please stay tuned (can you say that about written material? Probably not, but oh well.) for the epilogue, which will take you to various occasions of larry's future (including a little something for the b!L stans).  
> Have a great day everyone :)
> 
> xx J
> 
> Shania Twain - You're Still The One (or the lovely covers by Sam Woolf and Lee Dewyze)

‘’Do you really think she’ll want to see me?’’

In front of the five boys, a tall man was stood. His sand-coloured hair was greying, and a few wrinkles had already appeared on his face. Nevertheless, the way his blue eyes sparkled made him look young.

Harry nodded. ‘’I’m positive.’’ In reality, he was not sure. He could only cross his fingers and hope for the best.

The man ruffled his hair with his fingers. ‘’How do I go about this? Should I just say, hey, it’s me, Ben! Haven’t seen you in a long time, but I’ve never stopped thinking about you?’’

Harry bit his lip. He did not know what to say. Louis luckily did.

‘’Just be yourself. She cares a lot about you still. You’ll be fine’’, he told Ben.

‘’I hope so.’’ Ben paused for a few seconds, before continuing. ‘’Thank you all so much for arranging this. I don’t think I would have ever got the courage to do this if it hadn’t been for you.’’

‘’You’re very welcome’’, Harry replied, offering the man a warm smile. He could see Ben was still nervous, although he visibly tried to calm himself down. He had no idea how it would feel to meet the person you have loved for such a long time again after so many years. Overwhelming, probably. Exciting. _Terrifying._

‘’Do I, um… Do I look okay?’’ Ben asked, looking down at his shoes.

Louis stepped closer to him to adjust the collar of his white button-down shirt, which was the tiniest bit crooked. 

‘’There’’, he said. ‘’You look great. Clara will be so surprised and awestruck when she sees you!’’

‘’I hope so’’, Ben mumbled to himself, dragging the back of his pointer finger along the stubble on his chin. ‘’Thanks.’’

‘’You’re welcome’’, Louis replied. ‘’I think we have to go soon.’’ He touched his hair, which was still damp from the shower. He and Harry had spent a bit too much time on shower activities that did not involve washing, which resulted in there being not enough time for them to blow-dry their hair.

Harry’s hair was even more wet, and straighter than usual. Louis was worried that, when they got outside, with the low temperature, their hair might actually freeze. 

The five boys walked alongside Ben to the front door, but not before putting on warm coats. Although it was not as cold anymore as it had been a few days earlier, they would still not want to go outside and get hypothermia.

They then walked the now-familiar path to Clara’s restaurant, where, they presumed, the party was already in full swing. 

And, they were right. As they opened the door to the restaurant’s dining area, they were met with a wave of heat and noise.

The place was jam-packed, the entire village and even more people from nearby towns having come to celebrate at Clara’s. People were standing in groups, chatting loudly with one another as flutes of champagne and glasses of wine were passed through the crowd. For the little ones, there was a variety of fresh juices to choose from. 

In front of the boys, two men who looked like they were in their early sixties, clinked Fohrenburger beer bottles as they guffawed at something the slightly taller one of them had previously said.

Clara was nowhere in sight. Harry suspected she was in the kitchen.

As if Louis could read his mind, the older boy said, ‘’Shall we go find Clara? She’s probably compiling the snack trays. Might be best to talk to her now, while she is still alone.’’

Harry fully agreed with that. He had no idea how Clara would react upon seeing Ben, but either way, it would be best to give them some privacy.

The boys guided Ben towards the kitchen, the man visibly shaking. Harry felt for him, although he was somehow also relieved that Ben felt so nervous. It showed that he cared. 

‘’I’m not ready’’, Ben said as they stood in front of the door.

‘’You _are_ ready’’, Niall told him. ‘’There are a few moments in your life that define the rest of your years, that can change you as a person forever. _This_ is one of those moments. Now grab it!’’

‘’But-‘’

‘’No buts’’, Zayn said sternly. ‘’Niall’s right. Pardon my language, sir, but you need to grow a pair, like, right now.’’

Liam nodded encouragingly. ‘’Go in there and tell her everything you have been meaning to say to her for the past years!’’

Ben nodded. ‘’You’re right. I should go. I should-‘’

He could not finish his sentence, because Niall had pushed into the kitchen, while Liam held the door open.

Clara, who was facing the doorway, dropped the platter she was carrying, sending multiple breadsticks and tomato-mozzarella skewers tumbling to the floor.

‘’Ben?’’ she asked, shell-shocked. ‘’ _Bist du das wirklich?_ ’’ Her eyes widened upon realising that, yes, it was really him.

‘’Clara, hey. _Wie geht es dir denn?_ ’’

The woman found herself unable to formulate any coherent answer. Instead, she stormed towards Ben. For a minute, the boys were afraid she might hit him, but they were proven wrong when a broad smile appeared on Clara’s face. She opened her arms and slung them around her long-lost love.

‘’We should probably give them some privacy’’, Liam said.

‘’Nu-uh, I wanna watch’’, Louis whined.

‘’We’ll ask them how it went later’’, Harry whispered in his ear. ‘’We should really let them be by themselves.’’

Louis pouted, but listened to his boyfriend nevertheless. They all left the kitchen, and Niall proclaimed that he was going to get himself some food.

‘’This always happens. I make food and Niall eats it all’’, Harry said. ‘’At home, or at a party.’’ 

Louis kissed his cheek. ‘’It’s your fault for being a great chef.’’

A waiter passed the two boys and Louis quickly grabbed two glasses of red wine, handing one to Harry. He held up his glass. 

‘’To us.’’

Harry smiled and repeated the two words. They clinked glasses and sipped from the wine.

‘’It’s still all so surreal to me’’, Harry admitted, ‘’us being together. I’ve wanted this for so long.’’

‘’Me too’’, Louis told him. ‘’I’m so happy we got our shit together. I don’t think I could have handled much more of the secret pining.’’

‘’Me neither. Although’’, Harry began to add, ‘’I must say that it made us getting together better. The anticipation, the wanting, the waiting…’’

‘’I suppose you’re right. I could’ve been kissing those wonderful lips of yours way earlier, though.’’

‘’We’ll just have to make up for lost time.’’

Louis pointed at the ceiling, or rather, what was strung from the wooden beams. ‘’Might be the right time for that, now’’, he said, referring to the mistletoe that was hanging directly above them.

‘’Oh no’’, Harry mumbled, looking at the plant. His cheeks turned bright red

Louis quirked an eyebrow. ‘’No? And here I was, thinking you liked kissing me’’, he said dramatically.

‘’No, no, that’s not it. I just remembered-‘’

‘’You shouting you’re gay in front of everyone in the restaurant?’’ Louis finished for him.

Harry nodded, the embarrassing memory playing in replaying in his mind. ‘’That was right before our first kiss.’’

‘’Kind of symbolic, then’’, Louis said, ‘’for us to be in that situation again.’’

‘’Things have changed a lot’’, Harry replied.

‘’That they have.’’ Louis could see that Harry still felt awkward about what he had done that day, not the kissing, but the coming out. Or, rather, the way he had come out. Although Harry had been glad to get that huge secret off his chest, he wished it could have happened differently. Louis knew that. Which is why…

‘’I’m gay!’’ Louis shouted loudly through the room, causing Harry’s eyes to practically bulge out of their sockets.

‘’Ssst, Louis, what are you doing?’’ Harry hissed, looking around the crowded room. Only a few people had looked up, and none of them seemed to care much for what had just happened. They all went back to their own conversations in a matter of seconds.

‘’What if anyone heard?’’

Louis shook his head. ‘’No one heard. And, if they did, they don’t care.’’

‘’Lou, we’re not out to the public. Heck, we’re just out to each other and our family.’’

‘’That didn’t stop you from screaming you’re gay before, though’’, Louis pointed out. He sighed. ‘’Look, I just wanted you to feel better about your coming out. I know you were embarrassed by what happened, and I thought me repeating your actions would make you feel less, you know, embarrassed.’’

Harry’s features softened. He let out a deep breath. ‘’Thank you, Lou. That means a lot to me. It’s just… Ever since we spoke to Simon, I’m afraid of what will happen if we don’t comply to his wishes.’’

Louis stepped closer to his boyfriend, bringing his hand up to Harry’s face. He gently caressed Harry’s cheekbone with his thumb as he softly said, ‘’You don’t have to be afraid. We’ll figure it out. Together. When we get back to London, things are going to change. But, here, we can be free, we can be ourselves. No one here recognises us, except Victoria.’’

‘’You’re right.’’ Harry bit his lip. ‘’Sorry I overreacted, Lou.’’

‘’Don’t sweat it’’, Louis told him. ‘’But, since no one knows us here, should we take advantage of the moment?’’

Harry smiled at his boyfriend, his dimple popping. ‘’Definitely.’’

They leaned in for a short yet sweet kiss. When they broke apart, the sound of a door opening and closing echoed through the room, the sound carrying over the loud chatter. Louis and Harry both immediately turned to look at the kitchen, from which Clara and Ben emerged.

Harry’s eyes drifted to Clara’s face. A smile lit up her features, and her eyes sparkled. It only took him one look at Ben to realise that he was just as happy as she was.

Clara spotted the boys and hurried over to where they were standing under the mistletoe. She wasted no time in enveloping them both in a hug.

‘’My precious boys’’, she said affectionately. The pace at which they had begun to care for one another had initially taken Harry by surprise, but the woman reminded him so much of his own mother, he could not help but think of how he would miss her when he returned to London.

She smacked kisses on each of the boys’ cheeks before pulling away. ‘’Thank you so much.’’

She told them that it had been a delight to talk to Ben after again, and that, even after all those years, butterflies still swarmed in her belly when she looked at him, and his smile made her weak in the knees.

Even though it was apparent that both still deeply cared for another, they had decided to take things slow, starting with become acquainted with each other again. Ben had asked Clara about her daughter, who was biologically his niece. Clara had asked Ben about his job as at CERN in Geneva.

Ben would be in Austria for the next seven days, which gave them some time to catch up. Judging by the looks on their faces, Harry figured all would work out between them in the end. 

The boys spent the evening socialising, eating _lots_ of food, singing along to whatever song was playing on the radio – but remaining awfully quiet when _One Thing_ by a certain One Direction sounded through the speakers.

Victoria had arrived as well, wearing a flowing burgundy skirt and a tan knit sweater. She looked pretty with her hair curled, something Niall wasted no time in telling her.

She was more than happy to hear that the rekindling of Clara and Ben had gone down successfully. At the news, she pumped her fist into the air, drops of champagne sloshing out of the flute she was holding at the movement.

Harry and Liam watched with distaste as Louis and Zayn competed against one another to see which one of them could fit more chocolate in their mouth. (Louis won. He proudly stated that he was used to having a lot in his mouth. He may or may not have smirked at Harry when he said that.).

Everyone at the party seemed to enjoy themselves; the wooden tables were overflowing with food and drinks, there was not a single person without a smile on their face, and the music set a great mood.

Midnight was fast approaching, and couples and families gathered together to share the countdown and the beginning of the new year with their loved ones.

Harry had not lost sight of Louis for the entire evening, afraid they might lose each other and miss their New Year’s kiss.

He pulled Louis close to him as people around them began counting down from ten.

‘’ _Nine, eight, seven_ ’’, Louis counted along. He met Harry’s eyes and smiled lovingly. God, did this boy even know how much affect he had on him?

‘’ _Four,/em >’’, Harry chimed in. He could not look away from the blue of Louis’ eyes, and he did not want to._

__Three..._ _

__Two..._ _

__One._ _

_No one was lighting up fireworks outside, which had been a conscious decision by the entire community. They did not want to disturb the many animals living in the nearby woods and mountains._

_No fireworks were needed, though. To Louis and Harry, the moment was perfect already. Their lips touched as chants of _Happy New Year_ sounded all around them._

__Who needs fucking fireworks when your boyfriend is Louis Tomlinson?_ Harry thought to himself. He smiled into the kiss, feeling happy and light, and could feel Louis do the same. Their lips stayed attached for a few more seconds, before they pulled back._

_Louis quickly pecked Harry’s lips again, and said, ‘’Happy New Year, Haz.’’_

_Next to them, Liam and Zayn were still kissing._

_‘’Happy New Year, Lou’’, Harry answered. Tears stung his eyes. He had cried over Louis many nights, but not like this. These tears were happy ones._

_Niall and Victoria pulled Liam and Zayn apart and pushed them towards Louis and Harry, effectively pulling them all in for a group hug._

__‘’Happy New Year, ye wee feckers!’’_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for your support :)  
> Wishing you all the best ♥
> 
> xx J
> 
> PS: The ending reminds me of something... watch the series Derry Girls, you won't regret it ;)


End file.
